Research Source 5

Tayler Dooley

Bragadottir

English 201

11 March 2015

Research Assignment Source

The fifth academic source I have incorporated into my research paper is an article title, “Authentic Reality TV Selves: The Case For Melodrama.” In her article, author Renee Sgroi aims to analyze melodrama’s presence in reality television. She uses her own research and the research of others to highlight some of the key melodramatic features presented in popular reality shows. She argues that reality television’s genuineness enables viewers to relate to identify and relate to the characters on the show. Sgroi discusses the morality aspect many reality television characters possess, which is a major criterion of melodrama. In her article, Sgroi also references articles that discuss how reality television programs display expanded knowledge, stylistics cues, over exaggerated emotions, and many other melodramatic aspects.

The article was very useful because it helped me to organize the melodramatic component of my researcher paper. In order for me to make claims about melodrama’s presence in reality television, it is important to support those claims with research findings. Sgroi’s article has enabled me to uncover these research findings. Her article also supports some of the other articles I have incorporated into my paper which cite the melodramatic components of reality television. The findings of this article were also presented in a scholarly, unbiased fashion, which generates credibility among the source. With that being said, the article fits nicely into my research because it shows that specific melodramatic aspects (morality, style, expanded knowledge, emotions, and authenticity) are indeed integrated into reality televisions.             

Research Source 4

Tayler Dooley

Bragadottir

English 201

11 March 2015

Research Assignment Source

            The fourth sources I will be using in my research paper is an article out of Penn State University written by author Jesse Hicks. The article is titled, “Probing Questions: Why Do We Love Reality Television?” The article is an investigation on reality television and the criteria it possesses that draws audiences to its programing. Hicks discusses how some RTV programs allow viewers to participate and weigh in on the action, which promotes regular viewership and satisfaction with the show. Hicks also outlines how reality television allows viewers the chance to reflect on their own lives and compare their lives to others. Since reality programs are based off of nonfictional unscripted people, viewers feel as if they are watching real people live out their lives. People can feel better about their own lives by watching misfortune play out on screen. They can also fantasize about the ideal of obtainable celebrity by watching ordinary people live out their lives on screen.

            This source will be very useful in my paper because it outlines some of the other appeals reality television has for people. The information is presented in a scientific and unbiased arrangement. I can use this source along with some of the others I have cited when discussing psychological motivations, nonfictional motivations, interactivity, etc. With that being said, the source will be very helpful when organizing my research discussion. I can use the article to provide further evidence on why and how reality television is able to captivate and attract audiences.    

Research Source 3

Tayler Dooley

Bragadottir

English 201

11 March 2015

Research Assignment Source

            The third study that I will utilize in my research paper is and article titled, “Reality Bites: An Investigation of the Genre of Reality Television and Its Relationship to Viewers’ Body Image.” Nicole Egbert and James Belcher co-wrote the article, they aimed to define some of the subgenres of reality television. They then used these findings to study the effects RTV exposure has on perception and body image. The study confirmed that exposure to competitive reality based television did correlate to increased body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness. However, other subgenres of RTV did not correlate to perception and body image.   

            This source was useful for my paper. One of the important organizational tasks involved with my research was defining reality television as a genre. This is not an easy task because there is not set criteria used to define RTV. This source however does a good job roughly defining RTV. The article also has a lengthy reference page that I was able to find some of my other sources from. The source also presents peer-reviewed unbiased information. With that being said, the article will be used in my research paper to define reality television as a genre. In order to have a valid conversation about the interworking’s of reality television, it is important to specify exactly what reality television is. This article does just that.        

Research Source 2

Tayler Dooley

Bragadottir

English 201

11 March 2015

Research Assignment Source

            The second research article that I will incorporate into my research paper is titled, “Why People Watch Reality Television.” Authors Steven Reiss and James Wiltz of Ohio State University have co-written the article. The article is in an inquiry into the potential psychological appeal reality television has for its viewers. The authors asked 239 participants to rate how much they enjoyed reality television, and to rate themselves on the 16 basic motives outlined on the Reiss Profile standardized instrument scale. The results propose that reality television watchers share a general psychological profile with one another. They feel very self-important and are status oriented. They tend to be free of morality, secure with themselves, and free from authority and order. Some are vengeful and watch for a competition-oriented outlet, while others tend to be romantic and looking for and outlet for that. The results also show that people watch television shows that stimulate the feelings and inner values they possess.    

            This is source is incredibly useful for my paper and the research behind it. I was unable to find a paper that discussed the psychology behind RTV for the longest time. However, that is exactly what this article does, it provided insight into the psychological profile of the common RTV viewer. The source also coincides with the other sources I reference in my paper because they have all used some of the same papers in their works cited pages. The information provided by the sources is unbiased and reliable because it came from a peer-reviewed study that collected and measured impartial data from their participant’s television viewing. This source was very helpful for my research because it provided me with psychological etiology for RTV viewership. I was able to cite this source and provide evidence that specific personality traits influence and predict RTV audiences.  

Research Assignment Source 1

Tayler Dooley

Bragadottir

English 201

11 March 2015

Research Assignment Source

One the sources I found online that may be useful for me in my research is titled Reality-Based Television Programming and the Psychology of Its Appeal. The article is a peer-reviewed article out of the University of Arizona that analyzes some of the psychological aspects behind reality television. Author Robin Nabi and his colleagues aimed to define the main components of reality television. They found that the some of the main components displayed are:

Programs that film real people as they live out events (con- trived or otherwise) in their lives, as these events occur. people portraying themselves (i.e., not ac- tors or public figures performing roles), (b) filmed at least in part in their living or working environment rather than on a set, (c) without a script, (d) with events placed in a narrative context, (e) for the primary purpose of viewer entertainment. This definition excludes programs captured by other genres, such as news pro- gramming, talk shows, and documentaries, as well as programs featuring reenact- ments (e.g., America’s Most Wanted) and simple video clips not placed in a narra- tive context (e.g., America’s Funniest Home Videos).

The study also hypothesized that reality TV is increasing in popularity due to its voyeuristic nature, impulsivity of the viewer. The study concluded that impulsivity does not necessarily predict increased reality TV show viewership.