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The
Tribe Has Spoken
By Jeff Neu
Channel surfers across the country are finding
it increasingly difficult to avoid a reality television programs.
According to recent Nielsen ratings, shows such as Survivor,
American Idol,
Fear
Factor, Big
Brother and The
Bachelor are attracting more than 18 million viewers
per episode. Many people say these shows possess no redeeming
value and are simply blatant voyeurism. However, a researcher
at the University of Missouri-Columbia discovered these shows
actually have a positive impact on viewers.
“Entertainment needs are met through
reality television because these shows allow people to make
comparisons with media images — comparisons that ultimately
help them feel better about themselves and their personal circumstances,”
said Cynthia Frisby, assistant professor of advertising at the
Missouri School
of Journalism at MU.
In the study, participants ranging in age
from 19 to 29 years old — similar to the 18 to 34 age
group most attracted to reality television — completed
a survey to measure their moods and thoughts regarding reality
television. The survey indicated 78 percent were regular viewers
of reality shows. They then watched a 40-minute segment of
Joe Millionaire while recording their reactions to
the program. Another survey was taken immediately following
the episode.
Frisby found that the participant’s
exposure to reality television resulted in a positive increase
in mood state, with no difference between men and women. Interestingly,
Frisby said, of all the gratifications obtained, viewers reported
watching reality shows specifically to make comparisons, the
factor that determined entertainment value.
Frisby believes the results of this research
can be used to provide new insights concerning psychological,
cognitive and behavioral processes that motivate television
viewing preferences and program choice.
“Television and other media provide
the thrill of observing danger without allowing people to suffer
consequences,” Frisby said. “Audiences know that
when the curtain comes down and the lights come on in the theater,
everything is back to the way it is. That’s what reality
television does for the regular viewer. These shows are distracting
from today’s tragic events and give viewers an outlet
for watching others overcome hardships, escape danger, live
in a rainforest, learn to survive under the roughest conditions,
and yes, find love.”
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Last Update:
November 15, 2007
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