Cultivation Theory Of

Gerbner
 Introduction to the
Theory
● Approach developed by Professor George Gerbner.
● Research project 'Cultural Indicators' in the mid-1960s.
● To study whether and how watching television may
influence viewers' ideas of what the everyday world is
like.
● Cultivation theorists argue that television has long-term
effects which are small, gradual, indirect but cumulative
and significant.

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

 Understanding the
Theory
● Cultivation theorists argue that television has long-term
effects which are small, gradual, indirect but cumulative
and significant.
● Miller - cultivation theory was not developed to study
"targeted and specific effects” but rather in terms of the
cumulative and overarching impact television has on the
audience.
● This theory suggests that exposure to television, over time,
subtly "cultivates" viewers' perceptions of reality.
● This cultivation can have an impact even on light viewers
of TV, because the impact on heavy viewers has an impact
on our entire culture.

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

 Understanding the
Theory
● Gerbner and Gross say “television is a medium of the
socialization of most people into standardized roles and
behaviors. Its function is in a word, enculturation”
● They emphasize the effects of television viewing on the
attitudes rather than the behaviour of viewers.
● It is a top down, linear, closed communication model.
● It regards audiences as passive, presenting ideas to
society as a mass with meaning open to little or no
interpretation

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

 Cultural Indicators
of the Theory
● Gerbner placed television viewers into three categories;
light viewers, medium viewers and heavy viewers.
● Gerbner’s cultivation theory says that television has
become the main source of storytelling in today's
society.
● Heavy viewers are affected by Mean World Syndrome.
● The process of cultivation occurs in two ways:
mainstreaming and resonance.
● Cultivation Theory produces effects on two levels: first
order effects and second order effects.
● Cultivation research looks at the mass media as a
socializing agent.

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

 Criticism of the
Theory
● Doesn’t look at the background of the audience
● Survey questions can be interpreted incorrectly resulting
in inaccurate answers and that participants of the survey
may or may not be doing the survey voluntarily which
could influence how they respond to the survey and the
type of people being surveyed
● The theory does not believe television viewers have a
choice in whether they are effected by media violence or
not

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

 Criticism of the
Theory
● Gerbner allows some of his own values to enter into the
theory by deciding what to consider violence
● Numerical value to heavy television viewing
● Violent content 'resonates' more in this theory.
● Television is seen by Gerbner as dominating our
'symbolic environment'
● There is relatively little evidence of cultivation effects
outside the USA.

Cultivation Theory Of Gerbner

Thank You