1. Presentation by
Margarita Salgado, Zoey Farr, Kimberlee
Ablahat, Avery Holley, Kimberly Worden, Ryan
Dunavant

2. • Meta-analysis study, looked at surveys of television
viewers of all age groups and at how many hours a day
they viewed TV.
• They classified the viewers into one of three categories:
light, medium, or heavy TV viewers:
The first category was made up of light viewers that
watched less than 2 hours of TV a day;
The second was medium viewers that watched 2 to
4 hours a day;
The third was heavy viewers who watched 4 or more
hours of TV a day.

3. Theory Referenced
• Cultivation Theory-
The media cultivates us
to believe that what is
shown on TV and in movies
is a realistic version of the
world.
Method Used
• Meta-Analysis of surveys

4. • The study showed that heavy television viewers were
more likely to feel that the elderly are a “vanishing breed,”
meaning that there are fewer of the older generation and
their health is deteriorating. Television sharply
underrepresents the elderly.
• They also found that heavy television viewers exposure
to long-term television violence tends to cultivate the
image of a relatively “mean and dangerous world,” an
exaggerated perceptions of how violent in the world really
is.

5. • Heavy viewers are “cultivated” to accept the world that is
presented to them by the media.
• Because of media, we are more likely to accept
stereotypes and traditional gender roles such as women
belong in the home and are happiest raising children; and
men belong in the work force
Research shows that even young children express
these beliefs of traditional gender roles

6. • Although the media may play a role on cultivating these
ideas, we believe that they may not be the only factor.
We think that the study should be redone to reevaluate
the findings of how the media influences the people of
today.

7. • Gerbner, G., Gross, L., Morgan, M., & Signorielli, N.
(1994). Growing up with television: The cultivation
perspective. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Media
effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 17-41).
Hillsdale, Nj: Erbum.
• http://www.asc.upenn.edu/gerbner/Asset.aspx?assetID=1
617