MGT 312 - PROJECT CHARTERProject Title Annual Office Picnic

MGT 312 - PROJECT CHARTER
Project Title: Annual Office Picnic
Project Sponsor: Pharaoh Khufu
Date Prepared: Jan 25, 2021
Project Manager: JL Jackson
Project Customer: Jim Caldwell
Project Purpose or Justification
This is a project to lead the planning team on an effort to plan
and execute the annual office picnic celebration. The annual
celebration is one that is enjoyed by the entire office and their
family members. While preparations are made for 500, there is
an average attendance of 350. This leadership team is eager this
year to encourage more participants from the management
group, who typically pass up the event. The project will cover a
theme driven event that includes location selection, menu
options which will be put to a company-wide vote, activities,
entertainment and party gifts for employees and children.
Scope
The project includes the following tasks:
1. June 25, 2021
2. Water you Doing Annual Office Party-theme is nautical,
colors are red white and blue.
3. Fort Monroe Beach/Paradise Ocean Club
4. Admittance to the pool plus a food voucher and drink is
covered/also food will be cooked at the location.
5. Beach volleyball, badminton, corn hole and other activities
will be available.
6. Paradise Ocean club has a kid’s menu plus the food provided
will be of American fare.

7. There will be raffle gifts as well as giveaways throughout the
duration of the event.
8. Improve attendance rate of management team
9. Marketing will be conducted on all social media platforms as
well as through the company email system.
Resources
Your team consists of volunteer employee members that
represent every department within the organization, including:
Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, IT and HR.
Budget
$100,000 including a 5% contingency fund of $5000 to respond
to risks.
Major Milestones
Milestone
Deliverables
Date & Location Selection
June 25, 2021 Fort Monroe Beach/Paradise Ocean Club
Menu Selection
Voting completed and final selection and securing of
menu/catering for the picnic.
Entertainment
Solidified and booked entertainment for the date of the event.
Marketing
Marketing plan complete and execution of communication
materials are prepared and ready to be distributed.
Activities
Activities are selected and booked for the day of the event.
Gifts
Employee and children gift selections are completed.
Confirmations
All major items are confirmed for the day of the event.
Roles/Responsibilities
Customer/Sponsor: Provides overall direction on the project.
Responsibilities include: approve the project charter and plan;
secure resources for the project; confirm the project’s goals and
objectives; keep abreast of major project activities; make

decisions on escalated issues; and assist in the resolution of
roadblocks.
Name
Email
Jim Caldwell – CEO
[email protected]
Project Manager: Leads in the planning and development of the
project; manages the project to scope. Responsibilities include:
develop the project plan; identify project deliverables; identify
risks and develop risk management plan; direct the project
resources (team members); scope control and change
management; oversee quality assurance of the project
management process; maintain all documentation including the
project plan; report and forecast project status; resolve conflicts
within the project or between cross-functional teams; ensure
that the project’s product meets the business objectives; and
communicate project status to stakeholders.
Name
Email
JL Jackson
[email protected]
Team Members: Work toward the deliverables of the project.
Responsibilities include: understand the work to be completed;
complete research, data gathering, analysis, and documentation
as outlined in the project plan; inform the project manager of
issues, scope changes, and risk and quality concerns;
proactively communicate status; and manage expectations.
Name
Email
Kristina Roth – Sales
[email protected] CNF.com
Jacob Burns – Customer Service
Rachel Jules – Marketing
Brett Lyons - IT

Raymond Jones – HR
Success Measurements
• Complete all requirements according to final inspection
checklist • Complete project under the budget constraint of
$100,000
• Complete project within a 6-month time frame
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze if and how television
affects peoples' perception of society. Social learning theory
and cultivation theory are introduced as two possible reasons
why television can have such an influence over its viewers. This
report analyzes how body image, stereotypes, and job
glorification are affected by what is shown on television. An
online survey was taken by twenty-two people in order to see if
the amount of television people watched affected television's
influence over its viewers. The questions attempted to analyze
how television affected their perceptions of themselves, others,
and the professions of doctors, lawyers, and police officers.
Although the sample size was rather small the results showed
that reality television was affected by the frequency one
watched television. However, more studies should be conducted
to analyze if realism or frequency plays a more predominant
role in the effects of television.
Key terms: Body image, Cultivation theory, Job glorification,
Social learning theory, Stereotypes, Television
influenceProblem Statement
On average Americans, spend 2.8 hours watching television
every day (American Time Use Survey Summary). Television
shows can be very influential to people, they have the ability to
move, inspire, and educate them. However, this may be causing

people to believe that television is always an accurate portrayal
of real life. The belief that television shows are always factual
has the potential to affect one's judgments, which could lead to
body image issues, increased stereotyping, job glorification and
more. "In addition to exposure to television, the extent to which
individuals perceive content as realistic is related to their social
judgments"
(
Sample
Student
Paper
10
)
(Busselle 47). This paper will analyze if and how, through the
factors set forth in the social learning and cultivation theories,
television affects peoples' perception of society.Literature
Review
In 1939 television first started being broadcasted, and ever
since the effects television has on its viewers has been the focus
of many debates and concerns. The censorship of television
shows has greatly decreased since its early days. "In the 1950s
and 1960s, networks and advertisers imposed strict controls on
what could be show on television" (Hanson 329). In the early
days of television, content was highly regulated and there were
a lot of rules about what was acceptable to show on television.
For example, Laura and Rob Petrie, from the Dick Van Dyke
show, had to sleep in separate beds even though they were
married. Even Lucille Balls’s pregnancy caused great concern
(Hanson 329). In the 1950s and 1960s, married couples were
shown sleeping separately; however, today it is commonplace to
find unmarried couples sharing a bed on television. Although
the rules and regulations about what is appropriate to be shown

on television have been greatly relaxed, concerns are just as
high about how television is influencing society. This literature
review will address the importance of television’s effects and
the theories of cultivation and social learning will be discussed
as possible causes. Along with this, body image issues,
stereotyping and job glorification will be presented as possible
effects of television viewership.
Importance of Television Effects
Television has become an integral part of peoples' lives; not
only is it a form of entertainment, but it is also educates people.
The popularity of television and the massive number of
television shows available to the public has also increased the
concern."The extent of
TV viewing in most [Western societies] has led leaders,
politicians, and educators to express their concern and worries
regarding the effects of such viewing on society and its
youngsters"(Cohen and Weimann 99). As the role that television
plays in peoples' lives increases, so does the concern over how
exactly television is affecting its viewers. The more people
watch and value television, the more it will influence and shape
peoples' views, beliefs and expectations.
The reality portrayed on television is influenced by stories and
the actors portraying them; however, the real world, life outside
these influences, is not always the same as what is depicted on
television. Television shows and their creators have the ability
to create a reality that people may ultimately believe to be an
accurate portrayal of the real world.
The mass production and rapid distribution of messages create
new symbolic environments that reflect the structure and
functions of the institutions that transmit them. These
institutional processes of the mass-production messages short-
circuit other networks of social communication and superimpose

their own forms of collective consciousness-their own publics-
upon other social relationships. (Gerbner 69)
The images that one sees on television portray how the writers,
producers, directors, etc. see the world. As one sees the
messages repeatedly on the screen, they begin to creep into the
minds of the viewers, altering and shaping their views. "The
notion is that living in a symbolic environment in which certain
types of institutions with certain types of objectives create
certain types of messages, tends to cultivate (support, sustain,
and nourish) certain types of collective consciousness" (Morgan
and Shanahan 339). As one continuously sees the same images,
events, and realities portrayed on the screen, they become
expected. For example, those who watch a lot of news
programming may believe that crime rates are higher than they
actually are. This is
because acts of crime are frequently reported on the news. The
repetitiveness of television affects the way people view society;
as one sees these images play out over and over again on
television they become the norm.
Cultivation Theory and Social Learning Theory
There has been a lot of research done on the different effects
that television can have on its viewers. According to research
done by Bryant and Miron, cultivation and social learning
theory are two of the most popular theories in mass
communication (Bryant and Miron 673).
Cultivation theory states that, the more television someone
watches, the more they will experience its affects. "The most
familiar version of the cultivation hypothesis is that those who
spend more time watching television are more likely to perceive
the real world in ways that reflect the most common and
recurrent messages of the world of fictional television" (Morgan
and Shanahan 337). The main idea behind cultivation theory is

that the more television one watches, the more likely they will
perceive the real world to be like they see on television. Social
learning theory states that people learn by example. "People’s
behaviors are learned through observation and modeling"
(Jeffres et al. 104). People learn by watching and then they
emulate what they see. Cultivation theory and social learning
theory are two main theories used to explain the effects of
television.
George Gerbner, who introduced cultivation, was one of the
first people to do research on the effects of [mass
communication] which he described as, "large message systems"
(Gerbner 71). Television is an example of mass communication
since it allows for an exorbitant amount of information to be
sent rapidly to millions of people. When Gerbner first started to
do his research, television and the effects it could have were
relatively new. He eventually introduced
several theories, including cultivation theory, as reasons for
how television and mass media would forever change public
views.
Mass communication, including television, often shows people a
singular view of the world. The same views and ideas are shown
repeatedly on different television shows every day. “The rise of
mass communication is a profound change in the management of
information, and in the creation of the common symbolic
environment that gives public direction and meaning to human
activity” (Gerbner, 70-1). As one sees and hears the same views
everyday, they become accepted as the norm. The television
shows that are watched every night have given people the
foundation for what goes on in the real world.
Although social learning theory is not quite as popular as
cultivation theory it still offers profound insights into the
effects of television viewing; social learning theory was created
by Albert Bandura. Humans in general are very visual and learn
best through examples. "We are able to learn by observing what
others do and the consequences they face" (Hanson 60). Humans

learn from examples, children try to copy their parents,
teenagers try to be like their friends or that one person they
wish they were. People learn from others’ mistakes and try to
recreate their successes. Television provides people with a
wealth of mistakes and success stories that can be emulated.
Effects of Television
The effect television viewing can have on body image is often
criticized. The use of "thin-ideal media" on television is one of
the main causes for this concern (Van Vonderen and
Kinnally 42). Thin-ideal media is media that constantly uses
thin female characters and promotes thinness as a desirable
attribute that often leads to the most success (Van Vonderen and
Kinnally
43). When one turns on the television, they are exposed to
images of beautiful men and women. These beautiful actors on
television are causing people, especially women, to desire to
look the same way. "In 1972, 23 percent of U.S. women said
that they were dissatisfied with their overall appearance. By
1996 that figure had grown to 48 percent" (Hanson 170).
Women see these actresses on television as having the perfect
body and they become unhappy with their own bodies, lowering
their self-esteem. This increase in body dissatisfaction is
causing more women to be affected by eating disorders. "It is no
secret that a significant number of girls and young women
suffer from eating disorders as their quest to find to find beauty
through thinness" (Hanson 170). As the obsession with being
thin grows more and more, young girls are becoming anorexic
or bulimic in an effort to get thinner. These actors on television
are seen as role models, which is causing the desire to be thin,
in order to be just like them, to grow rapidly.
The more people watch television and are exposed to thin-ideal
media the more likely they will see these bodies as normal.

"Women who are exposed to heavy amounts of thin ideal media
are likely to accept this as the norm" (Van Vonderen and
Kinnally 43). The more women see these thin actresses on
television, the more likely they will be to see this as the normal
and ideal body weight. When women see these women with
perfect bodies, they feel as though their bodies should look just
like theirs. However, actors such as, "the much-photographed
Jennifer Aniston is an impossible (for most women) size zero"
(Hanson 170). It does not matter that most women will never be
able to be a size zero, it is still what many women hope to be.
There has not always been this obsession with thinness. "The
body size of women portrayed in mass media has been steadily
getting smaller" (Van Vonderen and Kinnally 42). Today, many
of the biggest actresses are super thin; however, this is more of
a recent phenomenon. In fact, according to today's standards
[Marilyn Monroe] would be considered a
plus-sized model (Hanson 170). What was once considered the
perfect body is now a body many people would be ashamed of.
The fact that the size of the perfect body has decreased, along
with the average size of actresses, supports the idea of
cultivation; that what one sees on television is seen as normal.
Not only can television affect one’s image of themself, but it
can also affect how they view others.
The way that televisions aids in the formation of stereotypes is
another concern for many people. Television can play a role in
the formation of both gender and racial stereotypes. "Aside
from the problem that people on television comedies and dramas
are not only attractive and funny but, also resolve problems in
less than an hour, there are complaints that television presents a
world that is overwhelmingly white, male, and middle class"
(Hanson 320). The demographics on television are not
representative of society; oftentimes, women and minorities are
pushed to the side. Not only are minorities under represented;
they are often portrayed in a less favorable light. "Minority
groups argue that the media serve up stereotypic images that

conflict with reality" (Jeffres et al. 105). In general minorities
feel that the images presented on television are overtly
stereotypical and clash with the real world. The way people are
portrayed on television can lead to people believing that this is
an accurate description of how people truly act. "According to
Bandura, people’s behaviors are learned through observation
and modeling; thus exposure to media images leads to the
formation of social stereotypes" (Jeffres et al. 104). Television
offers people a glimpse into worlds they would otherwise be
unfamiliar with; however, what they take away from it may not
always be accurate and can lead to misguided assumptions about
others.
Television does not only affect peoples' perception of other
people, it also affects how they see certain professions. There
are hundreds of shows about police officers, doctors, and
lawyers all over television. In half an hour to an hour’s time, a
television show tries to depict the daily lives of these various
professions. In one hour a doctor identifies a rare disease and
cures it, a lawyer is able to win a huge case, and a crime is
solved from start to finish. These over exaggerations of events
on television may lead the public to believe these inaccuracies
are the truth. "Cultivation theory posits that frequent viewing of
these distortions of reality will increasingly result in the
perception that these distortions reflect reality" (Shrum 511).
People that frequently watch these shows with an exaggerated
reality may truly believe that what they are watching reflects
what really goes on in the life of a doctor, lawyer, or police
officer. These distorted realities could lead to complications in
the real world as people try to apply what they see on television
to the real world.
Shows that involve the medical profession are very popular
amongst television viewers; however, what is seen on these
shows is not always realistic. Medical dramas offer people
insights into the world of medicine and are where they get a lot
of their information. "Numerous studies have noted the

popularity of medical dramas, as well as the ways in which
viewers use entertainment programs as a basis for their
knowledge about medicine" (Strauman and Goodier 32). Just as
most shows, the hero always saves the day, in medical shows,
the doctor is the hero and has all the answers. However, there is
"concern from physicians that overly positive representations
set unrealistic expectations for patients" (Strauman and Goodier
33). In real life doctors cannot save every patient and they
definitely do not have all the answers. These television shows
that constantly portray the heroic doctors may lead people to
expect more from their doctors than is actually possible.
Although the writers try to be as accurate as possible by having
experts in the field available for consultation it does not mean
that certain aspects are not exaggerated or always feasible.
Lawyers are also predominant fixtures on television. One can
turn on the television and somewhere they can find a show that
involves lawyers. People learn a lot about lawyers from what
they see on these television shows. A study conducted by Pfau,
Mullen, Diedrich and Garrow found that, "television's
portrayals of attorneys influence the public's perceptions of
attorneys" (Pfau and Mullen). Many people have not had a lot of
experience with lawyers, so almost all of their information
comes from what they see on television. The lack of overall
experience with lawyers, combined with frequent viewing of
legal shows, may lead to viewers having an exaggerated view of
lawyers.
Along with the medical and legal fields, the forensics field is
also a popular and misrepresented career. Many times in shows,
like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, viewers will see characters
do things that cannot actually be done. "The inaccuracies in
these shows have to do with stretching the science beyond what
normally occurs, or taking computer graphics and making
science do something it can't" (qtd. in Stanton). The main goal
of a television show is to entertain and these shows take a lot of
creative liberties when writing. Although these shows often

exaggerate what science can actually do, sometimes the science
depicted does actually exist. However, most labs would not
have access to the tools needed to make use of the procedures.
According to Kathy Reichs, a forensic anthropologist and
producer on the television show Bones, "some of the things that
we use, does any crime lab that I've ever seen have them? No,
because it is too expensive, but they do exist"(watchmojo.com).
Sometimes the science does exist; however, the cost of the
using it is too high for most labs. The exaggerations of these
forensic shows have also even been known to influence jurors
on criminal cases.
In 2003, the CSI Effect was introduced to demonstrate the effect
that shows like CSI can have on jurors. "The CSI Effect is the
notion that crime show viewing influences jurors to have
unrealistic expectations of forensic evidence, which then affects
their trial decisions" (Hayes and Levett 216). Viewing
television shows that revolve around criminal investigation
could lead the jurors to expect things that are just not realistic.
For example, they may always want forensic evidence, which is
not always possible (Hayes and Levett 216-17). When no
forensic evidence is available, doubts in the prosecution may
arise in the minds of jurors. In shows like CSI they always find
all the answers and there is always that smoking gun that points
them directly to the bad guy. However, in the real world,
evidence just does not work that way.
As these examples show, television plays a major part in a lot of
people's lives and it is important to understand what the effects
television viewing can have. The theories of cultivation and
social learning introduce reasons for why television can have
such an impact on someone.
People watch a good amount of television everyday and they get
a lot of information about areas that they would not otherwise
be familiar. The information gained from watching television
can cause people to develop an unrealistic perception of
themselves, others, or even a potential career. The effects that

television can have should not be taken lightly and they are
important to understand in order to limit the negative effects
that they could potentially have on someone's life.
The purpose of this study is to determine how cultivation and
social learning theory affect people's perception of society.
Other research has studied how television viewing can influence
certain things such as body image and stereotypes. However,
not a lot of research has been done on whether or not those who
watch more television are likely to believe what they see on
television, causing them to be more affected by its content.
Those who watch more television have a higher exposure to the
images and messages presented on television, which should
result in them believing these portrayals to be accurate. They
will also have more opportunities to learn
from the examples set forth by these shows. Based on research,
the hypothesis for this study is that those who watch more
television will be more likely to accept what is shown on
television as the truth and be more susceptible to the affects of
television.Method
An online survey was conducted of adults ages eighteen to
forty-nine. The reason this survey targeted those between the
ages of eighteen and forty-nine is because this demographic is
seen as the most valuable among television networks because it
brings in the most money from advertisers. The revenue, from
advertising, that can be brought in from this age group often
causes television networks to cater their shows towards them
(Pomerantz 40). This survey was purposive in focusing on a
targeted age group; however, the survey was not random and
thus cannot be representative of a population. The survey also
uses a rating scale so participants were not able to explain why
they chose the answers they did.
The participants were asked a series of questions designed to
show how their perceptions were affected by television. They
were asked questions pertaining to four specific areas: realism,

body image, stereotypes, and job glorification. The questions in
the realism section were designed to measure how accurate and
realistic people believe television shows to be. Some of these
questions were based on questions asked in earlier research,
specifically Busselle's article "Television Exposure, Perceived
Realism, and Exemplar Accessibility in the Social Judgment
Process". The body image section asked people to think about
how television affected the perceptions of their own bodies as
well as others. The questions pertaining stereotypes were
designed to see how people felt their race and gender were
portrayed on television. It also attempts to see if people assume
certain people will act a certain way based on what they see on
television. Finally, the questions on job glorification were
designed to get a sense of the participants’ perceptions of
different careers, specifically doctors, lawyers, and police
officers.Results
Participants
A total of twenty-two people took the online survey, 55 percent
of them were female and 45 percent male. A majority, 59
percent of the participants, were between the ages of eighteen
and twenty-five, 18 percent were twenty-six to thirty-three, 9
percent were thirty-four to forty- one, and 14 percent were
forty-two to forty-nine. Most of the participants would be
considered light to moderate television viewers, with 32 percent
watching less than one hour of television a day and 45 percent
watching one to two hours daily. Only 18 percent reported
watching three to four hours and 5 percent said they watch four
or more hours of television a day.
Participants were asked to rank the order in which they watched
certain genres, one being the most frequently and six being the
least frequent. The genres that were ranked one to three were
considered the most frequently watched. The top three genres
watched were comedies, crime dramas, and reality.

(
Frequency
Genre
Most
Watched
100%
50%
0%
Comedy
Crime
Drama
Reality
News
Medical
Drama
Science
Fiction
)
Realism
Based on the data received from the survey, all of the
participants understand that television does take creative
liberties. Four questions were asked pertaining to the accuracy
and realism of television shows and none of the participants
strongly agreed with any of the questions regarding televisions
accuracy or realism. Fifty-five percent of the participants
agreed that the crime shown on television is similar to the crime

in the real world, 36 percent disagreed and 9 percent strongly
disagreed. However, the participants that reported watching
crime dramas the most frequently were less likely to agree with
the accuracy of the crime on television. Only 42 percent agreed,
50 percent disagreed, and 8 percent strongly disagreed.
Most of the participants did not believe that the illnesses and
procedures shown on medical dramas were common in the real
world, 33 percent of the participants agreed, 59 percent
disagreed, and 9 percent strongly disagreed. None of the
participants that reported medical dramas as one of their most
frequently watched genres agreed that the illnesses and
procedures were common, 60 percent disagreed and 40 percent
strongly disagreed.
Most of the participants, 68 percent, felt that the portrayal of
cops was somewhat accurate and 32 percent believed it was not
accurate. Of the participants that watched the most crime
dramas, 58 percent believed that the portrayal of cops was
somewhat accurate and 42 percent felt it was not accurate.
Participants' feelings towards the accuracy of television did not
increase with the amount of television that they watched.
Overall most participants, 82 percent, felt that television shows
were somewhat accurate. Eighty percent of the participants who
watched the most television, three or more hours a day,
considered television shows to be somewhat accurate and 82
percent of those who watched two hours or less felt that
television shows are somewhat accurate.
(
Perceived
Accuracy
of
Television

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2
Hours
or
Less
Three
or
More
Hours
Not
Accurate
Somewhat
Accurate
Very
Accurate
)
Body Image

It is clear from the results that females are more likely to
believe that actors and actresses have the ideal body, 83 percent
of females agreed, 8 percent strongly agreed and 8 percent
disagreed. However, men were split over actors and actresses
having the ideal body. Fifty percent of them agreed but 40
percent disagreed, 10 percent strongly disagreed, and no men
strongly agreed.
Females were also more likely to compare themselves to those
on television. 41 percent of females agreed or strongly agreed
that they often compare themselves to those on television while
30 percent of men said they compare themselves to those on
television. Most participants said that they did not compare
members of the opposite sex to people on television, only 18
percent agreed, 25 percent of females and 10 percent of males.
Stereotypes
Those that watch reality television shows the most frequently
are not as comfortable with how their race or their gender is
being portrayed on television. None of the participants who said
they watched reality television less frequently than other genres
felt uncomfortable with how their race or gender is portrayed.
However, 27 percent of those that most frequently watched
reality television did not feel comfortable with how their race
was portrayed. Also, 63 percent said they disagreed or strongly
disagreed with the statement: I feel comfortable with how my
gender is portrayed on television.
(
Comfortable
with
Race
Portrayal

100%
50%
0%
Most
Reality
Least
Reality
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
)
(
Comfortable
with
Gender
Portrayal
100%
50%
0%
Most
Reality
Least
Reality
Strongly

Disagree
Agree
Strongly
Disagree
Agree
)
Only 32 percent of participants felt their values were similar to
those shown on television, while 45 percent disagreed and 23
percent strongly disagreed. Most participants, 59 percent, either
disagreed or strongly disagreed, that reality television is a true
representation of how people act while only 41 percent agreed.
However, most did believe that reality television did increase
stereotyping, 95 percent agreed or strongly agreed.
Job Glorification
The survey analyzed how the participants felt the position of
doctors, lawyers, and police officers are portrayed on television.
Most participants felt that each of these professions were
over glamorized on television. At 77 percent, the position of a
doctor received the highest number of participants believing
that it was over glamorized, followed by lawyers at 68 percent,
and finally police officers at 64 percent.Discussion
With all of the television people consume it is important to
understand how what is shown on television affects peoples’
lives and how they perceive the world. The purpose of this
study was to determine if those who watched the most television
were more susceptible to its effects. This study analyzed the
amount of television the participants watched and how
frequently they viewed certain genres: crime dramas, medical

dramas, and reality and how it affected their perceptions. The
study focused on how television affected peoples' views on
body image, stereotypes and job glorification. Despite the
research the findings of this study did not fully support the
hypothesis that the more television one watches the more they
will be affected by it.
This study only included people between the ages of eighteen
and forty-nine. However, a study of younger people may have
resulted television having a greater influence. "It is generally
assumed that younger children are more susceptible to media
effects because they are less able to evaluate content
critically"(Cohen and Weiman 112). Younger people are more
susceptible to what they see on television, which is ultimately
what leads to influence. If someone believes what he or she see
on television as the truth, it should have more of an influence
on him or her.
The more realistic one believes a television show to be should
translate into how its content affects them. "Perceived realism
may affect social judgments or, as Potter argued, it may interact
with exposure to influence social perceptions" (Busselle 47).
The more realistic a person believes a show to be, the more
likely it is to influence their perceptions of the real world. In
this
study the majority of participants believed television shows to
be only somewhat accurate and none of them believed television
to be very accurate. This suggests that the participants are
aware of television’s exaggerations and thus may adjust their
perceptions accordingly, which could be the reason the effects
of television are not as strong as originally predicted.
Television's influence on body image is very interesting. Both
the male and female participants were asked the questions
regarding body image; however, females were most greatly
affected and thus require a more in depth analysis. Although
most women believed that the actors and actresses had the ideal
body, many of them did not compare themselves or others to

them. The idea that a thin body is a perfect body is present all
over, not just on television. "There exists a weight prejudice in
our society that is reinforced not only by media, but also by
social interactions with peers and parents"(Van Vonderen and
Kinnally 42). It is important to understand that friends and
family also contribute to one’s ideas of the ideal body. More
information is needed to determine what influences, outside
television, may be affecting the participants regarding body
image and their idea of the ideal body. Television may just be
reinforcing what many already believe to be the ideal body.
This would result in many women believing that actors and
actresses on television have the perfect body, however, they
may be influenced and comparing themselves to people closer to
them, such as family and friends.
According to cultivation theory, those that watch more
television or more of a certain genre should experience a greater
influence of its content; however, the results of this study did
not support that. In fact, those who watched the most crime
dramas and medical dramas were actually less influenced by its
content. The more crime shows a participant watched, the less
accurate they believed the content to be. Medical dramas
experienced the same phenomenon, the more medical shows a
participant watched, the less accurate they believed the content
to be.
"Mental shortcuts used while processing TV messages incline
heavy viewers to rely more on those messages when
constructing judgments about the world, based on frequency,
recency, and vividness" (Morgan and Shanahan 344). Those that
watch a lot of television should be more affected by its content;
however, many of the participants in the study were not
considered heavy television viewers. Although the participants
may have most frequently watched crime dramas or medical
dramas, if they were not heavy viewers it might not have had
the same influence. When analyzing the participants overall
view of television accuracy and realism, it too did not increase

with the more television they watched. This can also be
explained by the fact that a majority of the participants where
light viewers.
Unlike crime dramas and medical dramas, those that found
themselves watching reality television the most frequently
seemed to be affected by its content. The goal of reality
television is to entertain, and conflict is one of the biggest
providers of entertainment. When reality shows cast people they
are looking to bring in people that will help bring about
conflict. "The success of many shows (especially docusoaps)
hinges on the ability to cast a diverse group of individuals
whose cultural worldviews will clash on screen" (Orbe 349).
Shows choose people who will bring very different views to the
table in an effort to drum up tension and conflict. These shows
will also tweak things while filming and in the editing room to
get the most out of every situation. "Shows occur within surreal
or abnormal situations, participants are oftentimes coached or
directed by producers, and what is seen by viewers is
manipulated through various postproduction editing techniques
that maximize the intensity of the product" (Orbe 346). What is
shown on reality television shows may not be scripted; however,
directors and producers have ways to guiding the cast in the
direction they want them to go. The use of conflict and per haps
exaggeration of what is shown on television may have led to
reality television having the greatest effects on its viewers.
The participants that reported watching the most reality
television are the only ones who said they were not comfortable
with how their race and, or, gender was portrayed on television.
Although some participants reported feeling uncomfortable with
how their race was portrayed on television, there was an even
higher number of participants that felt uncomfortable about
their gender’s representation. If the majority of the respondents
were not considered a minority this could account for the
discretion between race and gender. Had there been a larger
selection of minority participants the results may have been

different.
When it came to the section on job glorification, there was a
connection between how accurate the participants felt illnesses,
crimes, and police officers were, and their respective careers.
Although no question was asked about the accuracy of the
casework of lawyers, they are often tied into shows that also
deal with crime, thus the accuracy of crime can influence
lawyers’ cases. However, more specific research should be done
to verify these findings with questions that are more specific to
lawyers. When the participants were asked about the accuracy
of crime, illnesses, and police officers, they felt illnesses were
the least accurate, followed by crime, and finally the police.
This order then translated over to job glorification where they
found the position of a doctor to be the most glorified, followed
by lawyers, and then police officers. This supports the idea that
the more realistic a show is believed to be, the more it will
influence peoples' perceptions. The less accurate the
participants felt a career was, the more they felt the job was
glorified.
The theories of cultivation and social learning were only
supported when dealing with reality television. Reality
television is the only genre that has a positive relationship
between
frequency and perception. According to the findings of this
study, how accurate and realistic someone believed a television
show to be had the strongest impact on its influence. More
research should be conducted with a larger and more diverse
sample to determine if realism or frequency has a stronger
impact on televisions influence.Conclusion
People are engrossed and influenced by what they see on
television. Television transports its viewers into another world.
Entertainment might be television’s ultimate goal, but it
introduces people, places, and things that may have otherwise
remained a mystery. The worlds introduced on television are

seductive and enthralling, easy to believe, and coveted. These
perfect worlds have the potential to affect how people see
themselves, others, and even careers.
Americans spend a lot of time watching television, so it is
important to truly realize and understand how it affects people
and the way they see the world. The amount of television people
watch makes it a powerful tool in shaping and influencing their
perceptions. If one believes everything shown on television, it
can lead to negative assumptions and perceptions of the real
world.
The purpose of this study was to introduce the potential effects
of television and to explain why these effects potential ly occur.
Cultivation and social learning theories provided strong and
reasonable evidence as to how and why television can be so
influential. However, the study conducted showed that realism
might be the true indicator of how influential television is.
More research should be done to analyze where televisions
influence truly comes from.
Television and media have come a long way since its conception
but its effects and influence are still cause for great concern.
The way people now rely so heavily on television and media
will likely cause these concerns to grow. The potential
consequences of television’s
influence are serious and should not be ignored. A better
understanding of how television affects people may help
diminish some of its negative effects.
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