Social Psychology and Reality TV

It’s a Sunday afternoon. As I lounge on the couch I flip through the channels I eventually come across Jersey Shore. I think to myself, Ugh, what a horrible show. Why is this so popular?! But then, something happens…I keep watching. Why? Well, it could be because watching a group of overly tanned, obnoxious people go about their everyday life is hilariously entertaining. That could be it, but I think there’s more to it than that.

So where did this unscripted entertainment originate from?

In 1948 Allen Funt’s “Candid Camera” was a show which first introduced reality TV. The concept surrounded regular people in awkward situations being filmed without their knowledge.

Whether you want to avoid reality television or not it is here to stay (well, for the time being). So what makes reality television so appealing and what does this fascination say about contemporary society?

Over a year ago I did some research into reality television using theories from social psychology and found that voyeurism, the theory of comparison and social perception theory all discuss reality television.

In the article ” An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality Shows” the Voyeurism theory is discussed as a main cause of the popularity in reality programming.

Voyeurism is described to be the practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors. In a more general sense, it refers to a person who habitually observes others without their knowledge. Normal types of voyeurism can be satisfied through films and gossip news. The appeal is the pleasure derived from learning about what is typically private or forbidden. Shows like Big Brother would appeal to voyeuristic tendencies of viewers.

Side note. You can now watch 24/7 live video footage of the contestants on Big Brother. Creepy.

In the article “Publicized Intimacies on Reality Television: An Analysis of Voyeuristic Content and its Contribution to the Appeal of Reality Programming” the authors say that through voyeuristic tendencies individuals learn about others in order to self-monitor their own conduct and self-evaluate; this is also know as Social Comparison.

Social comparison theory is the idea that we learn about our own abilities and attitudes by comparing ourselves with other people”. We typically engage in social comparison when there is no standard for us to measure feelings or what we experience – this is when we are not sure how well we are doing. Who do we compare ourselves to? Others who are similar to us or who have experienced similar things. It’s a good ego boost.

Canada's Worst Driver - picture from Auto North

Comparing ourselves to someone who is worse than we are in a particular trait or ability is another way we use social comparison. Doing this is not only self-protective but is a self-enhancing strategy. This is called “downward social comparison”. Shows like Canada’s Worst Handyman and Canada’s Worst Driver would definitely boost anyone’s confidence in their own ability to drive and use tools. I am also going to add Jersey Shore and Teen Mom.

Photo from mtv.com

There is also the tendency to compare ourselves to someone who is better. This is called “upward social comparison” this is a self-enhancing strategy. When people use their “best” self it usually leads to negative viewpoints but if they use their “normal” self it is viewed more so positively -inspiring and motivates the individual to work harder to achieve that goal. Man vs. Wild is a good example of this type of social comparison. Probably, The Hills too.

Will Ferrell guest starring on Man vs. Wild

Not only is social comparison explains why we engage in reality television but so is social perception theory.

Referencing social psychology, social Perception is the study of how we form impressions and make conclusions of other people. We have a fundamental fascination with explaining other people’s behavior – what people do, say and their gestures say about them. All there is to rely on is our impression of these individuals. This desire to understand behavior is carried over into hobbies such as watching movies, reading novels, watching soap operas and even “people-watching” in the school cafeteria or the local pub. This aspect of human cognition is exploited in reality television. But why do we care so much about why people act certain ways? It is because doing so helps us understand and predict our social world.

From both sides of the argument reality television can provide an inexpensive form of entertainment to satisfy our voyeuristic tendencies but it can also provide harmful references of how we should evaluate ourselves and view our social world. With that thought in mind, my question is how will it change society?

WORKS CITED

Aronson, Elliot, et al. Social Psychology. Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, 2007.

Baruh, Lemi. “Publicized Intimacies on Reality Television: An Analysis of Voyeuristic Content and Its Contribution to he Appeal of Reality Programming.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media June 2009: p190- 210. October 7th, 2009.

Meizel, Katherine. “Making the Dream a Reality (Show): The Celebration of Failure in American Idol.” Popular Music and Society Vol 32. October 2009: pages 475-488. October 7th, 2009

Papacharissi, Zizi and Andrew L. Mendelson. “An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality Shows.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media June 2007: pages 355-370,60p. October 3rd, 2009