An Investigation into the Portrayal of Organ Donation on Seasons 1 Through 15.

The current project sought to extend prior research examining organ donation portrayals on by examining the first fifteen seasons. Guided by the health belief model, content analysis revealed more attention was given to benefits of donation than barriers. Contrary to previous research, more attention was given to refuting rather than promoting commonly cited myths. The results also address attention to the health threat as well as 's representation of self-efficacy in registering to be an organ donor. Finally, proportion tests revealed significant differences between the types of organs transplanted on compared to organs transplanted in the United States. The results are discussed with an emphasis on portrayal trends throughout Season 1 through 15 as well as the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.