Soap and booze in the afternoon. An analysis of the portrayal of alcohol use in daytime serials.

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Abstract
To ascertain the frequency with which alcohol use is shown on daytime television serials (soap operas), the patterns of these portrayals and the consequences of the different patterns, 8 trained observers viewed 14 soap operas every day for 4 wk. In 172 h of programming time, 520 portrayals of alcohol use were observed, the average frequency of drinking incidents being 1.51 per 0.5 h of programming. Drinking fell into 3 distinct patterns: social facilitation (to facilitate social interaction); crisis management (to temporarily reduce stress); and escape from reality (to escape from chronic problems). The social facilitation pattern was the one most often portrayed, accounting for 47% of all drinking incidents, escape from reality accounted for 30% and crisis management for 23%. Of the drinking incidents, 70% either were reinforced or had no consequences. Of the incidents that were punished, 85% involved escape-from-reality drinking, the drinking pattern most like that of alcoholics; the punishments were not shown to have long-term effects. Modeling theory is considered. Portrayals of alcohol use on daytime serials encourage drinking for purposes of social facilitation and crisis management; escape-from-reality drinking, while not encouraged, is not strongly discouraged.

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