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ETD Abstract Container

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Social cognitive theory and norms: Determining the factors that lead viewers to enact sexual behaviors seen on television

Luoma, Kelly
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406215621

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Communication.
Individuals often learn sexual health information from entertainment television shows, but they also may learn and enact risky sexual behaviors seen on television. This experiment tested whether viewers are more likely to engage in sexual behaviors after seeing television characters model these behaviors and sought to determine whether this enactment of behavior is attributed to characters experiencing positive or negative emotional consequences as a result of their sexual behavior. Participants were randomly assigned to view either a television show episode that depicted a positive outcome of a “friends with benefits” relationship or one that depicted a negative outcome of a “friends with benefits” relationship. Males reported being more likely to engage in a “friends with benefits” relationship after viewing this type of relationship depicted on television. Therefore, people may be more likely to enact behaviors after viewing characters engage in them on television regardless of whether the characters experience positive or negative outcomes. Males’ intentions to engage in a “friends with benefits” relationship also increased after viewing the negative outcome condition. This finding demonstrates that although the protagonist of a show may experience negative outcomes as a result of her behavior, viewers may interpret this outcome differently or identify more with other characters, which can increase their intentions to engage in the behavior. Therefore, having a character experience negative outcomes as a result of engaging in a behavior will not necessarily decrease viewers’ intentions to engage in that behavior.
Emily Moyer-Gusé (Advisor)
Michael Slater (Committee Member)
38 p.
Communication
social cognitive theory; schema theory; norms; entertainment television; sexual behaviors; friends with benefits; risky sexual behaviors; communication

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Luoma, K. (2014). Social cognitive theory and norms: Determining the factors that lead viewers to enact sexual behaviors seen on television [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406215621

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Luoma, Kelly. Social cognitive theory and norms: Determining the factors that lead viewers to enact sexual behaviors seen on television . 2014. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406215621.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Luoma, Kelly. "Social cognitive theory and norms: Determining the factors that lead viewers to enact sexual behaviors seen on television ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1406215621

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1406215621
2,127
© 2014, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Social cognitive theory and norms: Determining the factors that lead viewers to enact sexual behaviors seen on television by Kelly Luoma is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.