Impact of gay male and lesbian characters on TV

Graduation Date

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Other

Program

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, Psychology: Counseling, 2015

Committee Chair Name

Emily Sommerman

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Gay male and lesbian TV characters, Social dominance orientation scale, Attitudes toward lesbians and gay men scale, Social dominance orientation, Contact theory, Parasocial interactions, Homosexuality, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Psychology

Abstract

The present study examines how Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), Parasocial Interactions, and Contact Theory can impact people's attitudes regarding homosexuality through the TV characters they observe. Participants were surveyed on their TV usage, how many shows they watch which have a gay male or lesbian character, and if they have created any relationships with any of those characters. There were four hypotheses investigated. The first was that there would be a positive correlation between participants' scores on the SDO scale and their scores on the ATLG scale. Secondly, there would be a positive correlation between the age of a participant and their score on the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (ATLG). The third hypothesis was that there would be a negative correlation between participants' amount of TV watched with gay male or lesbian characters and their score on the ATLG. And lastly, that there would be a negative correlation between the number of parasocial relationships a participant has with gay male or lesbian characters and their score on the ATLG. Participants completed The SDO Scale, ATLG, Revised version, a TV Use Questionnaire, and a Demographics Questionnaire. Data was collected online from 197 participants over the age of 18 from the United States and other countries. Results found significant support for all hypotheses. Implications of results are discussed.

https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/bk128d21h

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