Media Portrayals of Romantic Relationship Maintenance: A Content Analysis of Relational Maintenance Behaviors on Prime-Time Television

Authors

Courtney Anderegg, George Fox UniversityFollow
Katherine Dale, The Ohio State University
Jesse Fox, The Ohio State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

Maintenance behaviors play an important role in sustaining relational states, especially within committed romantic relationships. Limited research, however, has considered media portrayals of these behaviors. From the framework of social cognitive theory, this content analysis examined relational maintenance behaviors portrayed by committed romantic couples (heterosexual, gay, and lesbian) on prime-time network television. The frequency of maintenance behaviors (positivity, understanding, self-disclosure, assurances, relationships talks, tasks, and networks) varied by type, valence, program genre, and couple type (married=civil union or cohabitating). Results indicated that comedies featured more frequent relationship maintenance behaviors than dramas. In addition, comedies exhibited more frequent negative maintenance behaviors than dramas. Differences also existed between couple regarding the types of maintenance behavior exhibited. No sex differences in maintenance behaviors were observed between male and female characters.

Comments

Originally published in Mass Communication and Society, Volume 17, 2014 - Issue 5.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2013.846383

Recommended Citation

Anderegg, Courtney; Dale, Katherine; and Fox, Jesse, "Media Portrayals of Romantic Relationship Maintenance: A Content Analysis of Relational Maintenance Behaviors on Prime-Time Television" (2014). Faculty Publications - Department of Communication and Cinematic Arts. 27.
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/comm_fac/27