A recent study published in Communication & Sport has unveiled intriguing findings about the influence of reality TV shows on viewers’ health behaviors. Contrary to what one might expect, forming emotional bonds with characters from the popular weight-loss competition “The Biggest Loser” does not significantly alter viewers’ confidence in their ability to exercise — or their actual exercise habits.
Understanding the relationship between media and audience behavior has long fascinated researchers, especially in the context of health promotion. Prior studies suggested that viewers can form what is known as “parasocial relationships” with media characters, which are one-sided connections where a viewer feels a bond with a TV character. These relationships were thought to influence viewer attitudes and behaviors — particularly in health contexts. However, this new study challenges these assumptions and provides a fresh perspective on the media’s role in shaping health-related behaviors.
The team of researchers embarked on this study to explore if these parasocial relationships, and their eventual end, termed as “parasocial breakups”, could be leveraged to enhance health communication strategies, particularly in encouraging physical activity and exercise. The premise was straightforward: if viewers form a bond with a character promoting healthy behaviors, would they be more likely to emulate these behaviors themselves? And conversely, would the end of such relationships negatively impact their health behaviors?
To investigate these questions, the study employed a methodical approach. Overweight participants — a choice made because they were likely to resonate more with the content of “The Biggest Loser” — were observed over a period of five weeks. These participants had their BMI calculated through questionnaires before and after the During this time, they watched one episode of the show per week and subsequently answered questions. These questions were designed to measure their feelings of connection to the characters, their confidence in their ability to exercise (self-efficacy), and their actual exercise behaviors.
The results of this in-depth study were quite clear-cut. There was no significant growth in the strength of the parasocial relationships over time, even with repeated exposure to the show. More crucially, the intensity of these relationships did not correlate with any significant change in self-efficacy or exercise behavior among the participants. This finding held, even when considering the impact of parasocial breakups —when a favorite character leaves the show — which also did not significantly affect the participants’ exercise behavior or confidence.
It is important to consider that the selection of “The Biggest Loser,” a show that has faced criticism for its portrayal of weight loss, may have influenced the development of parasocial relationships. Additionally, the short duration of the study might not have been sufficient for significant relationships to develop, especially given that participants did not choose to form these relationships voluntarily. Moreover, a high dropout rate during the study suggested that the results may be biased towards those more inclined to form parasocial relationships.
Overall, the findings suggest that simply watching a health-focused reality TV show and forming connections with its characters might not be enough to spur changes in health behaviors.
The study, “A Longitudinal Study on the Effects of Parasocial Relationships and Breakups With Characters of a Health-Related TV Show on Self-Efficacy and Exercise Behavior: The Case of The Biggest Loser”, was authored by Perina Siegenthaler, Tanja Aegerter, and Andreas Fahr at the Department
of Communication and Media Research, University of Fribourg.