Sexual Attitudes and Reality Television Viewing Among Emerging Adults

Abstract

Emerging Adulthood is a transitional stage that entails different developmental tasks. One specific task is developing sexual identity. Mass media (e.g., television, Internet, and movies) play an important role in influencing the emerging adults' development of their sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior. Among regularly scheduled programs on prime time television, the top four were reality television shows. This study investigated the relationship between emerging adults' sexual attitudes and reality television viewing. This quantitative research study included 91 participants from a southeastern university. Results revealed a positive relationship between sexual objectification between men and women and a negative relationship between sexual permissiveness and sexual objectification of women. A t-test for independent variables revealed females reported endorsing more permissive attitudes than males, females reported significantly higher approval of sexual objectification of men than males, males reported significantly higher approval of sexual objectification of women than females, and males indicated a higher adherence to sexual double standards than females. A chi-square for independence was performed and discovered sexual attitudes variables were correlated with three reality television sub-genres: Docusoaps, Gamedocs, and Exceptional Moments. A logistic regression found that Major, Race, and sexual attitudes with the exception of Sexual Permissiveness contributed to the prediction of viewing Docusoaps. Major, Gender, and Sexual Objectification of Women contributed to the prediction of viewing Gamedocs. Gender, Race, Sexual Double Standards, and Sexual Objectification of Women were individual variables that contributed to the prediction of Exceptional Moments viewing.