Daily Research News Online no. 1989 - Public Attitudes to the Soap Opera

Public Attitudes to the Soap Opera

November 9 2002

The Broadcasting Standards Commission (BSC) receives a considerable number of complaints from members of the public about the content of soap operas. The BSC recently asked MORI's Qualitative HotHouse to explore the role of soap operas within the family and in a social context, and to shed light on the standards that are expected of programmes generally broadcast before the 9 o'clock watershed.

Expanding on previous theoretical studies, MORI hypothesised that viewers would fall into one of four categories - Fanatics, Ironics, Dismissives and Non-Committeds. These typologies were defined by their level of engagement (how often and how intensely they watched soaps) and their critical distance from the programmes (referring to the emotional distance viewers place between themselves and the soap, with feelings such as enjoyment, disdain, textual awareness and so on).

Groups and families of viewers were recruited according to these typologies, on the basis of their response to a set of attitudinal questions. Quantitative research was also used to test the hypothesis that different types of viewer would have discrete demographic and attitudinal profiles. It showed, for example, that Fanatics tend to be young women, read tabloids, not have a degree and are unlikely to stop their children from watching soaps.

As part of the group discussions and family interviews, viewers were shown potentially controversial soap scenes from before and after the watershed. Backed by a study on the MORI face-to-face Omnibus, the research drew the following conclusions:

Soaps are seen as entertainment and are a useful way of imparting information
Storylines should be real but not necessarily realistic (i.e. viewers expect the storylines to be 'true to life', but recognise that if they reflect reality they would be dull, and thereby lose their entertainment factor).
Viewers believe broadcasters have a degree of responsibility towards viewers, which includes being aware of the watershed and the sensibilities of young viewers, pre-transmission warnings if necessary, and an awareness when dealing with sensitive issues that real-life victims may be watching.
Broadcasters should beware of tokenism or superficiality.

'The research was both useful and interesting,' says the BSC's research director Andrea Milwood Hargrave. 'It has helped us to set parameters when considering the topics that should - or shouldn't - be dealt with in soap operas, and how far the boundaries can be pushed. In terms of dealing with complaints, our members can make more informed decisions on whether a complaint is justified.'

For a full report of the findings, see www.bsc.org.uk/pdfs/research/soaps.pdf

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.