An investigation of television narratives on influencing knowledge and self-efficacy about the proper policies and procedures to follow after the occurrence of rape: the effectiveness of viewing Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Abstract

Although extensive research has been conducted on social cognitive theory (SCT) and education-entertainment (E-E), little is known about how they might aid our understanding of the social problem of rape. The current study explored the relationship between viewing the dramatic and sensitive narrative of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the knowledge of and feelings of self-efficacy related to the proper policies and procedures to follow after the occurrence of rape. Results supported the hypothesis that suggested participants with exposure to an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that centered around rape would report higher self-efficacy levels than those with exposure to an episode centered around kidnapping. Results also showed some evidence that the more participants reported viewing episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in the past, the more they showed increased knowledge of the proper policies and procedures to follow after the occurrence of rape. The current study contributes to the existing body of literature that uses SCT and E-E research and indicates that more research is needed on observational learning from the mass media with a focus on sexual assault narratives.