Despite the name, reality TV shows are often partially scripted and rely on stereotypical portrayals of its characters. Persistent stereotypes of Black women including the Jezebel, Sapphire, and strong Black woman (SBW) are commonly depicted in reality TV programming. Social learning theory indicates that viewers attend to characters that are similar to themselves, attractive, powerful, and receive rewards for their behavior (Bandura, 2000;Whittler, 1989Whittler, , 1991. Perceived realism was tested as a variable that may explain the relationship between reality TV consumption and endorsement of stereotypes. Therefore, this study sought to examine whether Black-oriented reality TV (BORT) consumption and perceived realism predicted the endorsement of three specific stereotypes of Black women: Jezebel, Sapphire, or SBW. We first explored the amount and type of reality TV consumption by young adult Black women. Additionally, we hypothesized that consumption of BORT and endorsement of perceived realism would be predictive of endorsement of stereotypes of Black women. Results from a sample of 115 Black female participants (M age ϭ 22.33) revealed that those sampled indeed spent most of their TV viewing time watching reality TV including, particularly, shows with primarily Black casts. However, contrary to hypotheses, BORT consumption and perceived realism were not predictive of stereotypes. Discussion of these findings and directions for future research are included in the paper.
Public Policy Relevance StatementReality TV has become a large portion of TV broadcasting but, unfortunately, this form of media often depicts negative stereotypes of Black women. The results of this study indicate that there is not a significant negative impact on Black women themselves who consume reality TV.
The Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema has been consistently linked to negative mental health outcomes among Black women. However, few have begun to explicate the mechanisms by which the endorsement of the SBW schema may influence mental health outcomes. Accordingly, the current study examined coping styles (social support, disengagement, spirituality, and problem-oriented/engagement) as mediators in the association between endorsement of the SBW schema and depressive symptoms in a sample of Black women. Data from 240 Black women ( Mage = 22.0, SD = 4.0 years) were collected assessing SBW schema endorsement, coping styles, and depressive symptoms. Parallel multiple mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS Macro. Of the four coping styles examined, disengagement coping partially mediated the association between greater endorsement of the SBW schema and greater depressive symptoms. Study findings add depth to our understanding of the association between the SBW schema and mental health outcomes and lend themselves to research and clinical implications.
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