Cultivation theory proposes that repeated exposure to media over time influences perceptions of social reality. Originated by George Gerbner in the 1960s, this theory is most frequently applied to television viewing and suggests that frequent television viewers’ perceptions of the real world become reflective of the most common messages advanced by fictional television.
Key Takeaways
Cultivation theory suggests that repeated exposure to media influences beliefs about the real world over time
- Gerbner originated cultivation theory in the 1960’s as part of a larger cultural indicators project
- Used mostly in the study of television, but newer research has focused on other media as well
Definition and Origins
George Gerbner first proposed the idea of cultivation theory in 1969
- Over time, repeated exposure to media cultivated the belief that the messages conveyed by the media apply to the real world
- Television is the dominant storytelling medium in society
- As a result, television will most likely cultivate similar perceptions of reality for very different people
Critiques
Some media scholars take issue with cultivation because it treats media consumers as fundamentally passive.
- By focusing on the patterns of media messages instead of individual responses to those messages, cultivation ignores actual behavior.
- In addition, the cultivation research by Gerbner and his colleagues is criticized for looking at television in aggregate without any concern about differences between various genres or shows.
Mean World Syndrome
Gerbner’s original focus was on the influence of television violence on viewers.
Sources
Gerbner, George.
- “Cultivation Analysis: An Overview.” Mass Communication & Society, vol. 1, no. 3-4, 1998, pp. 175-194 https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.1998.9677855
- “Toward ‘Cultural Indicators’: The Analysis of Mass Mediated Public Message Systems.” “The ‘Mainstreaming’ of America: Violence Profile No. 11.” “Journal of Communication,” pp. 10-29, 1980, “… [includes] Television, Materialism, and Attitudes About the Natural Environment”
- The International Encyclopedia of Media Effects: Effects and Underlying Processes, edited by Patrick Rossler, Cynthia A. Hoffner, and Liesbet van Zoonen. Palgrave Macmillan, 2010
- Giles, David, Good, Jennifer, and Patrick Shrum, L. J. Sage, 2012. “Knowledge, Reservations, or Promise? A Media Effects Model for Public Perceptions of Science and Technology”
- Nisbet, Matthew C., Dietram A. Scheufele, James Shanahan, Patricia Moy, Dominique Brossard, and Bruce V. Lewenstein. Media Effects. John Wiley & Sons, 2017
The cultivation theory became more established, Gerbner refined it to better explain the influence of media by adding the ideas of mainstreaming and resonance in the 1970s.
Mainstreaming happens when heavy television viewers who would otherwise hold very different views develop a homogenous view of the world
- Resonance occurs when a media message is especially noteworthy to an individual because it somehow coincides with a viewers’ lived experience
Research
Recent studies have explored the impact of media on perceptions of family, sex roles, sexuality, aging, mental health, the environment, science, minorities, and numerous other areas.
- Cultivation continues to be a widely studied area for mass communication and media psychology researchers.
