Cultivation theory holds that heavy television viewing gradually shapes a viewer's perception of social reality to align with patterns commonly depicted on television rather than with the world as it actually is. It was formulated by George Gerbner in 1973 as part of a broader Cultural Indicators research program. A later meta-analysis found a real but small relationship between viewing hours and distorted perception, and critics have questioned the direction of the causal arrow between heavy viewing and fear of crime and whether the theory adequately accounts for the lived experience of viewers who already live in high crime areas.
Facts
Concept Domain Formulated Year Domain
Domain (category) Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Wikipedia
Cultivation theory, lead paragraph, first sentence
Cultivation theory is a sociological and communications framework designed to unravel the enduring impacts of media consumption, with a primary focus on television.
- Cultivation theory, Background section
- Cultivation theory, Origin and founders section
View the Source2. Wikipedia
Wikimedia FoundationCultivation theory, LeadQuote, Cultivation theory, Lead
one of the core theories of media effects
Dissenting Readings (1 dissenting reading)
Description
Rossmann argues there is little evidence that television viewing causes fear of violence, and that the causal relationship cultivation theory assumes may run in the opposite direction, with existing fear of crime driving heavier television viewing rather than heavy viewing producing the fear.
A dissenting reading, from Costanze RossmannWikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation
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