Reality Bites

Reality TV depicts more interpersonal aggression than fictional programs, says a study.

Aggression is more prevalent on reality television than in scripted entertainment, claim researchers from Brigham Young University who examined levels of aggression between unscripted shows and fictional programs. Lead researcher Sarah M. Coyne, PhD, of BYU’s School of Family Life, says that she was inspired to research reality show aggression while she was living in England.

“People were obsessed with the newest craze: reality TV, and more specifically the program Big Brother,” she tells demodirt.com. “Stations would broadcast this 24/7 and I know people who would watch the contestants sleep! Crazy.”

After watching some episodes, Coyne noticed some aggressive behavior and decided to pursue the research. “I designed a study comparing reality versus non-reality TV shows,” she says.

“The main conclusion is that reality shows have way more aggression than non-reality—at least in our sample,” Coyne explains. “This also varied by program with some containing very high levels and others were lower.”   

Most unexpected, she notes, was the frequency of aggressive behaviors observed in the sample. “The amount of aggression was the most surprising,” she maintains. “The Apprentice had around 80 acts of aggression per hour—more than once a minute!—which is incredibly high!”  

Jeff Collins, producer of the well-known shows Bridezillas, How Clean is Your House? and Fly Girls, documenting flight attendants at home and in the air,  is president of reality production company Collins Avenue.

“First of all I hate the word ‘reality TV’—I refuse to use it,” he contends. “What does it even mean anymore? There are so many different types of unscripted TV shows today—they're all different and it's unfair to the innovators who created them to dump them into one basket.”  

Noting the violence depicted in shows like The Tudors and 24, Collins maintains that scripted shows may portray acts of torture that are unparalleled by unscripted entertainment.

“I hardly think showing real people being ‘aggressive’ on a competition show could compare to the violence we see on scripted shows,” he argues.
 

Moreover, Collins says, aggression need not be characterized as wholly negative. “You're making an assumption that aggressive behavior is negative—sometimes it's necessary in order to hold your ground in life,” he says.

“The Apprentice is an excellent show,” Collins continues. “Anyone who works in the corporate world will tell you only the strong thrive and survive. Sharon Osbourne recently said The Apprentice was one of the hardest things she's ever done in her life. I've met Sharon Osbourne—she's one tough lady who built a business managing rock stars in the cutthroat music world. If she said being on The Apprentice was tough—then it mirrors what surviving in the business world is like.”    

While Coyne contends that the aggression displayed on reality television may lead to viewers mimicking unsavory behavior—“We are more likely to imitate, and learn from, realistic behavior than non-realistic,” she says—Collins argues that shows like The Apprentice may be a positive influence.

“It takes a lot skill, brainpower and sheer instinct to survive that show,” he says. “I think rising to the top of any career requires the same set of skills and instincts. Most people are just lazy; maybe watching these shows will light a fire in their gut and encourage them to get off the couch and take control of their lives rather than just sit back and let life happen.”    

Moreoever, Collins adds, the behavior on unscripted shows reflects society today. “Reality television is merely a mirror of who we have become,” he says. “Some of us are not pretty, not rich and not even nice people.”

Citing political scandals and celebrity infidelities, Collins maintains, “I think nasty behavior has become an acceptable part of our society. We can't possibly cast real people who our as crazy and outrageous as the famous and powerful. Reality shows are tame compared to what's happening in the real world.”  

Coyne, who, because of the timing of the research, did not compare the difference between aggression on competitive reality shows and slice-of-life shows such Bravo’s Real Housewives—"I hear [they're] really aggressive!'" she notes—says that she plans to pursue future studies specifically to examine the effects of watching reality TV.