People Who Believe TV Romances Are Less Likely to Commit to Relationships

Can watching TV love stories affect a real-life romantic relationship? A study coming out of Albion College suggests it can.

The study, which was published in Mass Communication and Society, found the more an individual believes TV portrayals of romance, the less likely they were to be committed to their relationships.

Researchers recruited more than 390 married couples and asked them how satisfied they felt with their current relationship, what they expected from their relationship, how committed they felt to their relationship, how often they watched TV and how they responded to the shows they watched.

“The more an individual believes TV romances, the

less likely they are to commit to relationships.”

“In this study, I found that people who believe the unrealistic portrayals on TV are actually less committed to their spouses and think their alternatives to their spouse are relatively attractive,” said study author Dr. Jeremy Osborn.

For those readers who may invest themselves a little too much in their favorite scripted TV romances, Dr. Osborn offers a suggestion:

“My hope would be that people would read this article and take a look at their own relationships and the relationships of those around them,” he said. “How realistic are your expectations for your partner and where did those expectations come from?”

Source: Albion.edu.