Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, May, 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Liberty University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Central Connecticut State University, 2004. / Thesis advisor: Bradley M. Waite. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in General Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-75). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Reality TV is the most popular genre of television programming today. The number of reality television shows has grown exponentially over the last fifteen years since the premier of The Real World in 1992. Although reality TV uses styles similar to those used in documentary film, the “reality” of the shows is questioned by critics and viewers alike. The current study focuses on the “reality” that is presented to viewers and how that “reality” is created and may differ from what the participants of the shows experience. I appeared on two reality shows, Faking It and That's Clever, and learned a great deal as a participant observer. Within the study, I outline my experience and demonstrate how editing changed the reality I experienced into what was presented to the viewers. O'Connor's (1996) representation context web serves as a model for the realities created through reality television. People derive various benefits from watching reality TV. Besides the obvious entertainment value of reality TV, viewers also gather information via this type of programming. Viewers want to see real people on television reacting to unusual circumstances without the use of scripts. By surveying reality TV show viewers and participants, this study gives insight into how real the viewers believe the shows are and how authentic they actually are. If these shows are presented as reality, viewers are probably taking what they see as historical fact. The results of the study indicate more must be done so that the “reality” of reality TV does not misinform viewers.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: R. Lance Holbert, Dept. of Communication. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2002. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2711. Typescript. Abstract appears on leaves 1-2. Leaves 75-77 are presented as leaves 1-3. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-73).

Despite being dismissed as low brow, nonsensical and a cheap form of entertainment, the present cultural phenomenon of reality television reveals a shared space where people are exposing more personalized, emotional aspects of themselves than typically seen in other genres of television programming or areas of contemporary public life. This recent trend of reality TV is both heightening and challenging many of the long-standing ethical debates over the boundaries between public and private, individual and collective as well as rational and emotional experience and needs to be considered within a pedagogical context. This study will explore reality television's position as a means of popular education, while attending to a broader social context of changing media and corresponding cultural shifts. A McLuhanesque study, this thesis will investigate what socio-cultural changes are occurring in our media environment as a result of our experiences within new media technologies.

Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-88). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on June 2, 2009) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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