“Soul Tied”: Analysis of Romantic Trope Preferences?

Past studies have studied media preferences, specifically romantic novels, and found that belief in having a predestined soulmate is connected with preference for romance novels (Holmes, 2007). Additionally, repeated watching of romantic comedies is correlated with higher endorsement of dysfunctional romantic beliefs and idealization of their partner (Hefner & Wilson, 2013). This study is expanding this line of research in attachment, beliefs, and media entertainment preferences to include specific romantic tropes. A trope is defined as a tag used to refer to a known plot device that describes or sets expectations for the plots direction or the interactions between characters (Schell, et al., 2026). For example, “enemies to lovers” is a common theme, displayed in modern television shows such as Heated Rivalry. Participants preferences, attachment style (Hazan & Shaver, 1987, sexual perfection (Snell, 1997) love styles (Hendrick, Hendrick, & Dickie, 1998), and self-esteem (Monteiro et al., 2021) are collected via an online survey. Correlations between the constructs will be examined.