Reality TVand Romantic PerceptionsKelsey GormanKendra SchwarzCodi MastElyse BrighamJacqui DennisJamelia BanksCara Jeffers
Literature Review
• Social Cognitive Theory• Not passive, but active
• Four Processes: Attention, Retention, Production, and Motivation
• Heavy Viewers more likely to perceive real world like TV
• Media encourages 3 sexual attitudes:• Men are sex driven• Women are sexual objects• Dating is a game
Research Questions and Hypotheses
• RQ1: Do television dating shows influence people’s perceptions on their own relationships?
• RQ2: What are the motives for viewing certain reality television shows?
• RQ3: Which shows attract more women and which shows attract more men?
• H1: Viewers of the Bachelor have a more life-long, romantic perception of relationships.
• H2: Viewers of Jersey Shore have a more short-term, superficial perception of relationships.
Survey Explained
• Chose to compare Jersey Shore and the Bachelor
• Used personal social media and email to distribute
• Demographics
• Watch Jersey Shore or Bachelor or Neither• Threw out “Both”
Demographics
Males Females0
20406080
100120140160180
Males vs Females
18-22 23-30 31-40 41-50 50 +0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Ages
Demographics
Single Dating/Engaged
Married Divorced/Widowed
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Relationship Status
Relationship Status
Summary of the rest
• Most of our respondents were either students or employed
• Almost all respondents said they watched 1-3 hours per day
• Almost all respondents said 1-25 percent of the TV they watch is reality TV
RQ1: Reality TV influence on dating perceptions
• Perceptions/ Characteristics used:Casual Sex Honesty Respect Physical Abuse Male
DominanceMaturity PDA Sense of
HumorDating is a game
Lust
Intelligence Heavy use of alcohol
Abstinence Seeking attention
Use of contraception
Infidelity Trust Future-oriented
Emotional dependence
Faith
Financial matters
Physical attraction
Aggression Jealousy Commitment
Sex driven Loyalty Emotional abuse
Education Love
Jersey Shore Perceptions• What are your perceptions of the behaviors and/or characteristics
present in the show Jersey Shore? = Show• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own
personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general
societal norms for dating? = Society
Jersey Shore PerceptionsLowly Perceived in personal dating life
Casual Sex
Male Dominance
PDA
Dating is a game
Lust
Seeking attention
Infideltiy
Jealousy
Sex driven
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Society Show Personal
Highly Perceived in personal dating life
HonestyRespect
MaturitySense of humor
IntelligenceTrust
Future-orientedFaith
CommitmentLoyalty
EducationLove
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Society Show Personal
Bachelor Perceptions• What are your perceptions of the behaviors and/or characteristics
present in the show the Bachelor? = Show• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own
personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general
societal norms for dating? = Society
Bachelor Perceptions
PDA
Dating is a game
Lust
Seeking attention
Emotional dependence
Jealousy
Sex-driven
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Lowly perceived in personal life
Society Show Personal
Honesty
Maturity
Intelligence
Trust
Future-oriented
Faith
Commitment
Loyalty
Education
Love
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Highly Perceived in personal life
Society Show Personal
Non-watcher Perceptions• What perceptions and/or characteristics are prevalent in your own
personal dating life? = Personal• What characteristics or behaviors do you believe represent general
societal norms for dating? = Society
Casual SexPhysical Abuse
Male DominancePDA
Dating is a gameLust
Heavy use of alcoholSeeking attention
Use of contraceptionInfidelty
Emotinal dependenceFinancial matters
AggressionJealousy
Sex-drivenEmotional Abuse
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Non-watcher Low perceptions in personal dating life
Society Self
Honesty
Respect
Maturity
Sense of humor
Intelligence
Abstinence
Trust
Future-oriented
Faith
Commitment
Education
Love
Loyalty
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Non watcher high perceptions in personal dating life
Society Self
Casua
l Sex
Hones
ty
Respe
ct
Physic
al Abu
se
Male D
omina
nce
Maturit
yPDA
Sense
of hu
mor
Dating
is a
game
Lust
Intell
igenc
e
Heavy
use o
f alco
hol
absti
nenc
e
seek
ing at
tentio
n
use o
f con
trace
ption
infide
ltiy trust
futur
e orie
nted
emoti
onal
depe
nden
cefai
th
financ
ial m
atter
s
phys
ical a
ttrac
tion
agre
ssioin
jealou
sy
commitm
ent
sex d
riven
loyalt
y
emoti
onal
abus
e
educ
ation lov
e0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Societal Perceptions Compared
JSHORE Society Bachelor Society No Show Society
Future
orien
ted
Commitm
ent
Love
Loyalt
y
Physic
al Attr
actio
nTru
st
Sense
of H
umor
Maturit
y
Respe
ct0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Perceptions of Societal Norms
Bachelor Jersey Shore Neither
Casua
l Sex
Hones
ty
Respe
ct
Physic
al Abu
se
Male D
omina
nce
Maturit
yPDA
Sense
of hu
mor
Dating
is a
game
Lust
Intell
igenc
e
Heavy
use o
f alco
hol
absti
nenc
e
seek
ing at
tentio
n
use o
f con
trace
ption
infide
ltiy trust
futur
e orie
nted
emoti
onal
depe
nden
cefai
th
financ
ial m
atter
s
phys
ical a
ttrac
tion
agre
ssioin
jealou
sy
commitm
ent
sex d
riven
loyalt
y
emoti
onal
abus
e
educ
ation lov
e0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Self Perceptions Compared
JSHORE self Bachelor Self No Show Self
RQ2: What are the motives for viewing certain reality television shows?
Habit
Escap
e
Bored
om
Enterta
inmen
t
Trend
y
Up-to-d
ate on
curre
nt ev
ents
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Chart Title
Jersey Shore The Bachelor
RQ3: Which shows attract more women and which shows attract more men?
Male Responses Both Female Responses
American Idol American Pickers 16 and Pregnant
America's got Talent Bachelor/Bachelorette 19 Kids and Counting
Auction Kings Dancing With the Stars Amazing Race
Big Brother Survivor Basketball Wives
Buckwild Teen Mom Biggest Loser
Duck Dynasty The Apprentice Chopped
Hell's Kitchen The Voice Cupcake Wars
Iron Chef Ridiculousness Dance Moms
Jersey Shore Dirty Jobs
Pawn Stars Guilana and Bill
Shipping Wars Hell's Kitchen
Storage Wars Hoarders
Swamp People Honey Boo Boo
The Challenge Kardashians
The X-Factor Love & Hip Hop
Top Chef Master Chef
Worst Cooks in America Millionaire Matchmaker
Project Runway
Real Housewives
Real World
Say Yes to the Dress
So You Think You Can Dance
The Little Couple
Wife Swap
H1: Viewers of the Bachelor have a more life-long, romantic perception of relationships.
Positve Neutral Negative0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Chart Title
Show Society Self
Positvie Neutral Negative0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Jersey Shore Perceptions of Personal Relationship
Show Society Self
H2: Viewers of Jersey Shore have a more short-term, superficial perception of relationships.
Discussion/ Conclusion
• Wider range of demographics
• Question design
• People generally have more positive perceptions of their own personal
dating life than those of reality TV programming and society.
• People who watch reality TV programming are more likely to have
positive perceptions of societal dating norms.