Watching medical dramas like Casualty could increase people’s trust in real-life doctors at hospitals

• University of Missouri St. Louis study found ‘parasocial relationships’ evidence
• Viewers can be ‘interpersonally involved’ with programmes, research suggests

Watching medical dramas such as Casualty can increase people’s trust in real-life doctors, a study suggests.

Viewers can experience what are known as ‘parasocial relationships’ (PSRs) where they become ‘interpersonally involved’ with what they watch, psychologists say.

Regular exposure ‘leads to increased PSR between audience members and physicians in medical dramas, which increases audience trust in real-life physicians’.

Regular exposure ‘leads to increased PSR between audience members and physicians in medical dramas, which increases audience trust in real-life physicians’. Stock image of doctor and patient

The study, led by the University of Missouri-St. Louis, involved 446 adults and was published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media. 

Dr David Giles, a reader in media psychology at the University of Winchester, who wasn’t involved in the study, said: ‘Stronger PSR predicts more positive attitudes to real-life doctors but… trust in doctors doesn’t predict watching the shows. It’s the show that causes the trust, not vice versa.’

Medical dramas, the researchers wrote, could be used to help educate people about important topics and ‘promote positive healthy attitudes and behaviours’.

Medical dramas, the researchers wrote, could be used to help educate people about important topics and ‘promote positive healthy attitudes and behaviours’. Pictured: BBC’s Casualty

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