The effects of television viewing on romanticism and relational closeness

Abstract

This study investigated the associations between television viewing, romanticism, and relational closeness. Participants included 205 adults who completed online questionnaires about their television, beliefs about romance, and various relational quality measures, including relational closeness. Structural analyses supported the hypothesized positive correlation between television viewing and romanticism, romanticism and relational closeness, and the mediated association of romanticism between television viewing and relational closeness. The hypothesized negative association between television viewing and relational closeness did not emerge. However, a direct, positive effect of cable viewing approached statistical significant (p=.057). Lastly, the research question asked if different findings would emerge based upon the mode of television viewing. The overall pattern found cable was a statistically significant predictor of romanticism and relational closeness, both as a direct and indirect effect. All other modes of television (e.g. television using a digital video recorder and on-demand third parties) were non significant. One of the more important implications from this study is the finding on different modes of media. The results suggest that cable television produces the hypothesized cultivation effects, while more non-traditional forms of television viewing, such viewing from a digital video recorder and on-demand third parties that did not produce the same effect.