Cultivation Theory: Effects and Underlying Processes

Abstract

This entry provides a comprehensive review of cultivation research to date. It discusses the initial tests and criticisms of early cultivation theory and research. It also details attempts to explain the processes that underlie cultivation effects at the individual level and the current state of research on the psychological processes underlying cultivation effects.

An unabating challenge: Media portrayal of xenophobia in South Africa

“…Furthermore, cultivation theory was utilized to analyse online-published articles of South African media outlets that demonstrated the potential to exacerbate intolerance and afrophobia by virtue of the manner in which the article was crafted. We adopted this lens as studies have indicated that media portrayals have ramifications on the perceptions created of immigrants globally (Blinder & Jeannet, 2018;Danilova, 2016;Shrum, 2017).…”

General Content of Television Series Broadcasted In Prime-Time

“…Tarihsel olarak temellendirilen, teorik olarak yönlendirilen ve ampirik olarak desteklenen bu proje (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, ve Signorielli, 1986), tasarlandığı ilk günden bu yana, Amerikan toplumunda kültürel sembollerin en görünür olduğu mecra olan televizyon ile büyümenin ve yaşamanın etkilerine ve sonuçlarına odaklanmıştır. Proje birbirini tamamlayan üç araştırma sorusundan oluşmaktadır (Signorielli ve Morgan, 1990;Shanahan ve Morgan, 2003;Potter, 2006 (Gerbner, 1973;Shanahan ve Morgan, 2003;Shrum, 2017 İletişimi mesajlar aracılığıyla oluşan etkileşim ve kültürü oluşturan, sembolik çevreyi yaratan ve onun tarafından güdülen insani bir süreç olarak tanımlayan Gerbner'a göre (Morgan, 2014) aynı iletişim, direkt olarak gözlemlenemeyen durum, ilişki ve süreçler hakkında yapılacak çıkarımları mümkün kılan ve biçimsel olarak kodlanmış olan sosyal bir olgudur. Her türlü içerik ise iletişim alışverişinde kullanılan bir nevi madeni paradır (Gerbner, 1958, s. 86).…”

The Relationship Between Crime-Related Television Viewing and Perceptions of the Death Penalty: Results of a Large Cross-Sectional Survey Study

“…The problem in those perceptions is that content-analytic research suggests that many parts of the world of television differ in important and sometimes dramatic ways from the "real" world (Shrum and Lee, 2012;Shrum, 2017). Many aspects of the world portrayed in fictional television are exaggerated or incorrect.…”

“…Many aspects of the world portrayed in fictional television are exaggerated or incorrect. For example, reviews of cultivation research of the last five decades have shown that the world presented on television tends to be more affluent, but also more violent, dangerous, and untrustworthy (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Morgan and Shanahan, 2010;Shrum and Lee, 2012;Shrum, 2017). Also, the prevalence of certain occupations or population groups are portrayed disproportionally more frequently than others (e.g., police officers, lawyers, doctors, young people, criminals) (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Shrum and Lee, 2012;Shrum, 2017).…”

“…For example, reviews of cultivation research of the last five decades have shown that the world presented on television tends to be more affluent, but also more violent, dangerous, and untrustworthy (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Morgan and Shanahan, 2010;Shrum and Lee, 2012;Shrum, 2017). Also, the prevalence of certain occupations or population groups are portrayed disproportionally more frequently than others (e.g., police officers, lawyers, doctors, young people, criminals) (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Shrum and Lee, 2012;Shrum, 2017). As a result, those who spend more time watching television are, according to the basic cultivation hypothesis, more likely to make judgments about the world that more closely reflect mediated reality presented on television (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Morgan and Shanahan, 2010;Shrum and Lee, 2012;Morgan et al, 2015;Shrum, 2017), including the overestimation of certain occupations in the population and the adaption of certain beliefs and attitudes about society (e.g., fear of crime due to the overestimation of crimes) (Gerbner and Gross, 1976;Gerbner et al, 1986;Morgan and Shanahan, 2010).…”