ANTISOCIAL ACTS IN REALITY PROGRAMMING ON TELEVISION

This study poses two questions about the portrayals of aggressive beha vior on non-fictional television programs. First, to what extent do th e patterns of antisocial activity in televised non-fictional programmi ng correspond to patterns in the real world! These patterns were asses sed by comparing the patterns of criminal acts, as well as the demogra phics of the perpetrators and victims. Second, what is the meaning of the antisocial activity! An answer to this question is constructed thr ough an analysis of contextual variables of consequences, reward/punis hments, intention, and style. The data base for the analysis contains 2126 antisocial acts found in a composite week of 65.5 hours of non-fi ction television programming. The patterns of antisocial activity pres ented in non-fictional television were not found to correspond well wi th patterns in the real world. Also, centextual patterns (low rates of punishment, high rates of absence of negative consequences, high prev alence of intentions) would increase the likelihood that viewers would be negatively influenced by this type of content.