Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2007 The Mean World Effects of Reality Television: Perceptions of Antisocial Behaviors Resulting from Exposure to Competition-Based Reality Programming Kristin Michael Barton Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact
[email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION THE MEAN WORLD EFFECTS OF REALITY TELEVISION: PERCEPTIONS OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIORS RESULTING FROM EXPOSURE TO COMPETITION-BASED REALITY PROGRAMMING By KRISTIN MICHAEL BARTON A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2007 The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of Kristin M. Barton defended on March 19, 2007. ____________________________________ Arthur A. Raney Professor Directing Dissertation ____________________________________ Susan C. Losh Outside Committee Member ____________________________________ Laura M. Arpan Committee Member ____________________________________ Jay D. Rayburn Committee Member Approved: _________________________________________________ Stephen D. McDowell, Chair, Department of Communication _________________________________________________ John K. Mayo, Dean, College of Communication The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii For my parents, Sam and Mary Barton. I know it isn’t one of Dad’s train books, but hopefully this still finds a home on the coffee table. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS If the process of writing this dissertation has taught me anything, it is that research is never done alone. And in that sense, I owe much thanks to the people who worked with me to make all of this a reality. First, I need to thank Dr.