Sex, Booze & Promiscuity
Reality TV’s Effect on Mass Audiences
Erika Austin
Courtney Bonoyer
Michael Falco
Amanda Frontiero


Because reality shows
are targeted at college
and high school
students, are such
shows popular among
Castleton students?
An interesting issue to
explore is whether the
values displayed on
these shows are
imitated by students.
Research Questions

Are young men and
women becoming
more self-centered
and promiscuous
because of media
representations that
they see on reality
shows?
Research Questions

Does the gender of
a student impact the
values he/she
displays? Are these
values affected by
social institutions
like the mass
media?
Rationale
Bandura’s Observational Learning theory
states that people imitate those they see on
the media, especially if those portrayed are
seen as socially successful.
 Young women on reality TV shows who
dress and act provocatively seem to get the
guys.
 Young men who are belligerent and
irresponsible tend to be the popular ones.

Men are portrayed in these shows as in
charge and women as frivolous and
childish.
 Individuals who betray other people tend to
win the contests.
 Intoxication has no negative consequences
on these shows.

Sleeping with random people one has just
met is depicted as being cool.
 Condoms and birth control are never
mentioned on these shows.
 Cheating on one’s partner is normalized and
seen as socially acceptable.

Hypothesis
 Based
on our rationales, we
hypothesize that people who watch
reality TV are more likely to be
promiscuous, self-centered and
display risky behavior than those
who don’t watch such shows.
Method of Study
We surveyed 100 students at Castleton
State College at random.
 The surveys asked about respondents’
demographics.
 We also asked several questions to measure
their competitiveness, acceptance of
promiscuity and the riskiness of their sexual
and partying behaviors.

Results
It is okay to cheat on a partner if it is only once
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
2%
Those Who Watch Reality TV
0%
3%
4%
10%
17%
10%
Completely Agree
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
54%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
23%
77%
Males
3%
5%
Females
2%
5%
15%
4%
7%
Completely Agree
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
72%
Completely Disagree
24%
63%
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
It is okay to tell on a friend given that we live in a
cut throat world
Those Who Watch Reality TV
3%
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
8%
0%
20%
42%
13%
4%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Completely Agree
49%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Males
0%
8%
Completely Disagree
34%
27%
Females
2%
8%
12%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
54%
30%
Completely Agree
44%
19%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Completely Disagree
23%
It is okay to have sex with people who you are
not dating
Those Who Watch Reality TV
3%
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
23%
19%
23%
Completely Agree
32%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
23%
Somewhat Disagree
17%
Completely Disagree
32%
17%
Males
Females
17%
19%
31%
36%
Completely Agree
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
3%
Somewhat Disagree
19%
25%
Completely Disagree
15%
15%
Completely Disagree
11%
20%
Completely Disagree
It is okay to be drunk and sleep with someone
not your partner
Those Who Watch Reality TV
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
7%
10%
10%
3%
12%
Completely Agree
48%
19%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
15%
63%
Completely Disagree
13%
Females
Males
4%
12%
7%
17%
Completely Agree
10%
15%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
56%
4%
Completely Disagree
7%
68%
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
It is okay to have sex without protection with
casual partners
Those Who Watch Reality TV
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
0%
3%
3%
9%
16%
Completely Agree
46%
16%
15%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Completely Disagree
73%
19%
Females
Males
2%
0%
12%
10%
8%
10%
Completely Agree
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
59%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
17%
Completely Disagree
18%
64%
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
It is okay to appear naked on TV if it can win you
big money
Those Who Watch Reality TV
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
13%
15%
3%
29%
Completely Agree
33%
Completely Agree
15%
Somewhat Agree
26%
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Completely Disagree
21%
16%
29%
Males
25%
Females
8%
25%
6%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
10%
13%
27%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
14%
48%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
Completely Disagree
24%
It is okay to betray a friend to win big money
Those Who Don't Watch Reality TV
Those Who Watch Reality TV
0%
17%
8%
8%
53%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
11%
Completely Agree
9%
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
58%
14%
22%
Males
5%
Completely Disagree
Females
0%
13%
5%
61%
Somewhat Agree
16%
Completely Agree
8%
10%
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
12%
Somewhat Agree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Neither Agree or Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
70%
Completely Disagree
Flaws in the Study
Our question to determine whether
participants watched reality television was
misleading and participants seemed
confused.
 Many said they did not watch reality TV but
were able to identify their content.
 We finally determined that respondents
watched reality television if they answered
the questions regarding the content of the
shows.

Conclusion
 We
found that more people who didn’t
watch reality television strongly
disagreed with promiscuity and
competitive values than those why did
watch these shows.
 On the issue of sexual promiscuity there
was a difference of at least 30% between
people who watched Reality TV and
those who did not.
Conclusion
 Our
study concluded that people who
watch reality shows are more likely to
accept values and sexual behaviors
depicted on reality shows than students
who don’t watch these shows.
 However,
our results were not
statistically significant.