Award Date

5-1-2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication

First Committee Member

Erika Engstrom

Second Committee Member

Tara Emmers-Sommer

Third Committee Member

David Henry

Fourth Committee Member

David Dickens

Number of Pages

89

Abstract

The present study examines the association between consumption of media messages via movie viewing and endorsement of ideals and expectations about romantic relationships in a university-based sample of 228 respondents. Frequent viewing of romantic comedy and drama films was significantly and positively correlated with idealized notions that love conquers all, greater expectations for intimacy, and endorsement of the eros love style. Viewing preference for romantic movies was also significantly and positively correlated with fantasy rumination and marital intentions. However, participants who frequently watched romantic movies did not endorse beliefs in sexual perfection, mindreading, or disagreement disallowance. Implications of the findings are addressed.

Keywords

Cultivation; Dysfunctional expectations; Expectation (Psychology); Interpersonal relationships; Love in mass media; Love stories; Media; Movie viewing; Romance films; Romantic relationships; Socialization

Disciplines

Family, Life Course, and Society | Film and Media Studies | Mass Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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