COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Millions of Americans watched recently as "Friends" character Ross confided to Joey that he was disappointed that he might not have the opportunity to raise his baby with Rachel. Ross shared both his dreams and fears, and he was met with support and understanding.

According to University of Missouri-Columbia researchers, although men in American society often find it difficult to share their feelings, situational comedies such as "Friends" offer positive role models and story lines that encourage male disclosure, such as when Ross shares his feelings with Joey.

"Television's sitcoms seem to legitimize male self-disclosure as an acceptable form of social interaction," said Michael Porter, associate professor of communication at MU.

In a recent study, Porter and Glenn Good, associate professor of educational and counseling psychology at MU, examined how often male characters in situation comedies disclosed their feelings during the 11 most popular situation comedies in the 1998 television season.

While studying "Dharma and Greg," "Drew Carey," "Frasier," "Friends," "Home Improvement," "Just Shoot Me," "Mad About You," "Secret Lives of Men," "Spin City," "The Hughleys" and "Will and Grace," Good and Porter found several hundred instances when male characters expressed their feelings in a positive, constructive manner. They generally received either a neutral or positive reaction from the person with whom they were speaking.

"The 'John Wayne' era of movie-making encouraged men to deal with their feelings quietly and privately, or through the use of violence and physical force," Good said. "This stereotype often contributes to male isolation, depression and substance abuse. However, what we found was that sitcoms defy that stereotype, and that's something that the writers, directors, producers and casts of this genre should feel good about."

The MU researchers also found that when revealing negative feelings, male sitcom characters were twice as likely to confide in another male character rather than a female character. Good and Porter recently presented their findings at a meeting of the American Psychological Association.

"Most television narratives focus on interpersonal conflict, and in order to portray these conflicts, the characters must talk to each other, sharing their concerns, anxieties and feelings," Porter said. "Human conflicts in sitcoms don't end in fisticuffs or gunplay. Instead, conflict is portrayed through talk. Even the male characters talk to each other, often at a very personal and intimate level."

---University of Missouri, Columbia

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