Communicating science through entertainment television: How the sitcom The Big Bang Theory influences audience perceptions of science and scientists Pei-ying Rashel Li A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Science Communication at The Australian National University May, 2016 ii Declaration This thesis is an account of research undertaken between February 2011 and October 2015 at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Except where acknowledged in the customary manner, the material presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge, original and has not been submitted in whole or part for a degree in any university. Two academic papers were published on this topic which I co-authored with the chair of my supervisory panel, and some of the sections of these papers have been reproduced in parts of Chapter 3. Acknowledgements of these two academic papers are written in the footnotes following the relevant sections. Pei-ying Rashel Li May, 2016 iii iv Acknowledgements First of all, I would like to thank my supervisory panel - Dr Lindy Orthia, Dr Merryn McKinnon, and Dr Rod Lamberts - for their enduring perseverance. Your encouragements and willingness to read through drafts have constantly increased the quality of this thesis. I only wish the sweet treats I brought back from my various overseas trips have shown you that you were always in the back of my mind. Special thanks goes to my chair of panel, Lindy. You have not only endured my Ph.D. with me, but also encouraged me consistently when I didn't give you my best work. Thank you for reading my drafts over and over again, for your dedication of being a supportive and awesome supervisor, and your occasional threats to tie me to a chair so I will finish my thesis are without a doubt what kept me going through the final two months. Thank you to all my focus group participants who took the time and effort to come to the focus groups. Your discussions have made this a fruitful research, and I hope you had as much fun talking about a television show you love as much as I enjoyed listening to it. I would also like to thank all of my fellow Ph.D. candidates at CPAS. You have kept me sane when I was close to breaking down. You have helped me to relax when I was stressed. You kept me on track when I thought I was completely lost. The discussions we've had contributed to the product of this thesis, and also made this journey a wonderful experience. Particular attention goes to my work colleagues at Portmans, and subsequently, Seed Heritage. Specifically to Carrie and Cheryl, thank you for making special considerations when rostering me for work. Your efforts in making sure I can support myself by working part-time through my Ph.D. has undoubtedly contributed to the completion of my Ph.D. A big thank you goes to my family for pressuring me to get this done. You have v vi consistently asked me every two months `how's the thesis going?', `so when are you submitting?', `when are you graduating? I need to organise dates!' and it has often made me glad we live in different countries. But now that it's done, I can't wait for you to sit in Llewellyn Hall to watch me walk across the stage, receiving my Ph.D (crossed fingers). The most important thank you goes to Joseph, the man of my life, for looking after me through this journey. You have put your career on hold to stay with me in Canberra, and I can't thank you enough. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the producers, the writers, and the cast and crew of The Big Bang Theory. You have made a show that impacted the audiences in ways you cannot imagine. You have stimulated the younger generation's interest in science, and encouraged them to pursue a science career. You have sparked an interest in science for people who do not naturally lean towards it, and have motivated them to be more engaged with science in general. Furthermore, you have given me the opportunity to undertake a very rewarding research that will hopefully make a contribution to the science communication realm and the popular television realm in the near future. I would like to end the acknowledgements by referencing a dialogue between Sheldon and Penny from an episode in The Big Bang Theory. This is one of my favourite conver- sations in the show that I've held close to heart, and always made me laugh during the tough time: Sheldon: Leonard is upstairs right now with my arch-enemy. Penny: Your arch-enemy? Sheldon: Yes. The Dr. Doom to my Mr. Fantastic. The Dr. Octopus to my Spider-Man. The Dr. Sivana to my Captain Marvel. Penny: Okay, I get it, I get it. Sheldon: You know, it's amazing how many super villains have advanced degrees. Graduate schools should do a better job of screening those people out. The Codpiece Topology (S02E02) Abstract This study aimed to explore whether entertainment television can increase the public's engagement with science. The motivation for the study was the 2010 Inspiring Australia report, a national strategic plan to engage the Australian public with science. One of the `key principles' stated in Inspiring Australia was the need to strengthen the media's role in communicating science, including entertainment television. However, there has been little empirical research into how adults engage with the science content in entertainment television shows to validate (or to refute) the effectiveness of this key principle. In order to investigate whether and how entertainment television has influenced audiences' perceptions of science and scientists, I chose the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory as a case study since it is scientifically accurate and its main characters are scientists. Data were collected using 18 focus groups with 74 regular viewers of the show. Overall the program made science seem less dry and more interesting to the partic- ipants, and made scientists seem less socially isolated, humanising them. It positioned science and scientists as part of society rather than separate from it. With respect to whether the show influenced people's information seeking behaviours related to science, and science knowledge, personal experiences had a larger impact than watching The Big Bang Theory. However, the show did stimulate some people to find out more about the science information the show presented, and responses demonstrated that people can learn about aspects of the nature of science from watching entertainment television. Participants felt the scientist characters in The Big Bang Theory both conformed to and contradicted their preconceived images of scientists and their understanding of scientist stereotypes. They were surprised the characters had personal lives and romantic rela- tionships, and as a result, felt scientists were more approachable. Participants indicated their frustration that the female scientist characters were introduced and written as love interests, but appreciated that they were shown as successful scientists too. People had mixed feelings about them being mainly in the biological sciences (rather than being vii viii physicists and engineers, like the main male characters), but indicated that on television, good value entertainment was more important than portraying gender balance in science. Although the participants indicated that the science content in The Big Bang Theory was an important contributor to their enjoyment of and interest in the program, they also asserted that relatability, characters, humour, and geek culture references were equally or sometimes more important. However, people cared strongly about scientific ac- curacy even if the science was being treated as secondary or used as a backdrop of the show. In summary, some audiences of The Big Bang Theory engaged actively with its science content and changed their views of scientists. Therefore, it is possible to use entertainment television to reach people who are not actively seeking science-related content, because if it doesn't just focus on science it makes the show - and therefore the science - more accessible for the public. Contents Declaration iii Acknowledgements v Abstract vii 1 Introduction 1 2 Methods 15 2.1 Recruitment . 17 2.2 Focus Groups . 18 2.3 Questions . 22 2.4 Recording and transcribing . 24 2.5 Analysing the data . 25 3 Presentation of science content 29 3.1 Previous studies on public engagement with science-themed fiction . 29 3.2 Participants' attitudes towards science . 38 3.3 Is The Big Bang Theory a learning source or inspirational source? . 41 3.4 Information seeking behaviour . 52 3.5 The Big Bang Theory and the nature of science . 56 3.6 Discussion . 67 4 Presentation of scientists 73 4.1 Cultivation theory and common scientist stereotypes . 74 4.2 Character portrayals and stereotyping . 90 4.2.1 Characters as extremely stereotyped . 91 4.2.2 Characters retained some stereotypical behaviours and traits . 96 4.2.3 Characters breaking stereotypes . 100 4.2.4 Portrayal of minor scientist characters . 106 ix x Contents 4.3 The Big Bang Theory in shaping images of scientists . 111 4.4 Discussion . 118 5 Presentation of female scientists 123 5.1 Portrayal of female scientists in fiction . 123 5.2 Portrayal of female scientists in The Big Bang Theory . 135 5.3 Inclusion of female scientists . 144 5.4 Gender distribution between the scientist characters . 148 5.5 Inclusion of other female scientists . 154 5.6 Discussion . 160 6 Importance of the science content for audiences' enjoyment 167 6.1 Enjoyment research .