Source 1

The main argument of this article is applying the sensitivity theory or the theory of 16 basic desires to explain why people watch reality tv through a psychological approach. Reiss' theory borrows ideas from Aristotle in the analysis of individuality but for the most part, the theory evaluates how people will pay attention to things that satisfy their basic desires. The article then proceeds to explain why these desires/motives influence what people pay attention to and what they do and applies it to answer the question of why people watch reality television. The topics discussed include the explanation of the theory itself, how people decide what reality show to watch and the 16 basic motives with subgroups: Motive Name, Motive, Animal Behavior and Joy. Overall, the article is written on a psychological basis that borrows ideas from philosophers to explain the hysteria surrounding the ever-growing interest in reality tv. Based on the citations, I would say that this source is extremely reliable because of its scholarly nature and in depth perception it provides in both explanation and analysis of how the data was gathered. Compared to my other sources, I would say that this is the most reliable one because the evidence is backed up with proven theories. I wouldn't say it's biased because it's very open in explaining that those who are strongly motivated to socialize will most likely watch shows that portray groups, fun or friendship while those who are strongly motivated by vengeance are more likely to watch programs with aggressive content. Reiss' research is only a theory and the author doesn't claim that this is the sole reason why people watch reality tv but rather tries to persuade the reader to understand that Reiss' theory is an important factor. In conclusion, I believe this source was extremely helpful because it shed a different light on the question by approaching from a psychological standpoint rather than an article written by People Magazine or something. This article will prove useful to by backing up my research paper with a scientific basis which will improve the overall essay because it is scholarly. My opinion has not changed about my topic but I sure have learned a lot from this article.