RMP Is the Science of Motivation – Part 4

RMP is the Definition of the Science of Motivation® (Part 4) This is the fourth in a series of articles summarizing the research that defines the Reiss Motivation Profile® as the "Science of Motivation®".

Professor Steven Reiss' motivation theory predicts that individuals should prefer television programs that evoke the pleasures they value most. For example, people with a strong desire for Social Communication should be particularly attracted to programs that depict friendship and fun, while those with a strong desire for Revenge should particularly enjoy programs that involve conflict and competition. If the 16 basic theories of desire are valid, it should be possible to develop motivational profiles of viewers of certain types of television programs.

Using RMP, Professor Reiss and his colleague James Wiltz examined the motivations of viewers of reality television programs, defined as programs in which the main characters are ordinary people rather than professional actors. They predicted that the way viewers rank the 16 basic desires will differ significantly from normative rankings. They also predicted that the more reality television programs viewers watched, the larger the difference between their motivational profiles and those of the normative group would be.

Participants Participants Participants were a diverse group of 239 adults (167 women and 72 men) recruited from three different sources.

Method In addition to completing the RMP, participants were asked to rate their enjoyment of various activities such as travel, sports, music, and reality television programs. Questions about reality television programs were hidden in a more general leisure activities questionnaire to conceal the researchers' true purpose. Participants completed the questionnaires anonymously and individually.

Results The largest and most significant effect was observed for Status motivation. People who enjoyed reality television programs had a significantly higher mean standard score for Status than the normative group. Furthermore, the more reality television programs a person enjoyed, the higher their score on the RMP Status scale. These findings confirmed the researchers' predictions.

The second largest significant difference was related to Revenge motivation. People who enjoyed reality television programs scored higher on the RMP Revenge scale than those who did not watch such programs.

Significant but small differences were also found for the Romance, Social Communication, Honor and Order motivations . Compared to those who never watched reality television programs, individuals who enjoyed two or more reality television programs were more motivated by romance, peer friendship, and structure and less motivated by morality.

Discussion Why do people with a strong need for status watch more reality television programs than those with average or weak status needs? The basic desire for status is defined as the desire for respect based on social status. Individuals with a strong desire for status like to feel important, are attracted to celebrity and popularity, and are often committed to materialistic values. The message of reality television - that millions of people enjoy watching the experiences of ordinary people - implies that ordinary people are important enough to be famous. This message should resonate with individuals who score high on the RMP Status scale.

Why do people with a strong need for revenge watch more reality television programs than those with an average or weak basic desire for revenge? The basic desire for revenge is defined as the desire to confront those who have disappointed or offended us. Individuals with a strong desire for revenge are combative, competitive and see winning as a great value. Reality television programs show people who are competitive, aim to win and are often in conflict with others. These themes should overlap with individuals scoring high on the RMP Revenge scale.

Conclusion

This study has been successful in identifying typical motivations that characterize reality television viewers. But more broadly, it shows that RMP can be used to develop reliable motivational profiles of viewers of specific types of television programs. Hence, the importance of the study is that it proposes a valid methodology for conducting fruitful research in the fields of mass culture and communication.

Source: Reiss, S., & Wiltz, J. (2004). Why Do People Watch Reality TV? Media Psychology, 6, 363-378.