3. The cultivation theory was proposed by George Gerbner in 1967
when the television was new mass medium.
According to this theory, people who watch television frequently are
more likely to be influenced by the messages from the world of
television.
They are more likely to perceive social reality as it is presented on the
television. It affects their behaviors and attitudes.
FAZEELA LODHI
4. The influence goes to such extent that their work view & perceptions
are build according to what they watch on television
The primary proposition of cultivation theory states that, the more time
people spend living in the television world, the more they will believe
that the social reality is what television is portraying
FAZEELA LODHI
5. FAZEELA LODHI
The theory argues that, media (eg. television) generally present an image of
the world that doesn't reflects reality
Television images are an exaggeration and fantasy of the world that doesn't
exist
Heavy viewers of television are more inclined to its messages believing that
it is real & valid
He classified television viewers into two categories:
Heavy Viewers who watch TV for four hours or more
Light viewers who watch TV less than four hours
Concept
6. The more television content is consumed, the more the perception
of people becomes changed
When viewers exposed themselves to more violent content they will
be affected by the mean world syndrome
It will lead to the distorted view that the world is more violent and
dangerous than it actually is
Mean World Syndrome
MWS
It is a cognitive
bias, where over
time we start to
see the world
more dangeorus
than it actually
is
FAZEELA LODHI
7. Mean World Syndrome
Violence related content
make us believe that the
world is more dangerous
than it actually is
The important concept in
cultivation theory
FAZEELA LODHI
8. Mainstreaming is Gerbner's term to describe cultivation theory
He thought that through the constant exposure of the same images & labels,
heavy viewers of the TV adopt homogeneous outlook of the world
Traditional distinctions among groups are blurred by the emergence of a new
world view that shifts the mainstream to the interest of the sponsor
Blurring refers to the fusion of traditional concepts
Blending refers to the emergence of new concepts
Bending refers to the shifting of concepts according to the institutional
interest of medium and sponsor
Mainstreaming
FAZEELA LODHI
9. Resonance is another Gerbner's term to describe cultivation theory
The content being shown on the television has a similarity with
everyday lives of viewers
When viewers see things on TV that are similar to their everyday
realities, these people get a "double dose" of cultivation
Because what they see on TV resonates with their actual lives
The TV world looks like my actual world, so it must be true
Resonance
FAZEELA LODHI
10. This theory provides detailed explanation of the unique role of TV
Talks about the behavioral change after consuming media
Applies to wide variety of television effects
It provides basis for social change
Advantages
FAZEELA LODHI
11. This theory focuses on the heavy users of the television only
Never asked audience about their feelings before they watch TV
The theory is oversimplified as human behaviors & social relationships are complex
The change in variables like location, age, education may remove cultivation effects
This theory only talks about the television effects and doesn't focus on the human
experiences
Limitations
FAZEELA LODHI
