Tabla de Contenidos
Romanian-American professor George Gerbner developed the cultivation theory in the 1960s. This theory holds that repeated exposure to television over a long period of time influences viewers’ perception of reality.
The theory of cultivation: origin and development
About George Gerbner
George Gerbner (1919-2005) was a theorist who was born in Budapest, Hungary, and graduated from the University of Budapest with a degree in Literature and Anthropology in 1938. Of Jewish origin, Gerbner later went into exile in Paris and subsequently moved to the United States , where one of his brothers lived. There he studied first Psychology and Sociology, and then Journalism. In 1946, he married Ilona Kutas, with whom he had two children.
In 1964, Gerbner became the dean of the College of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, a position he held for twenty-five years. He also worked as editor of the Communication Magazine of said faculty. Furthermore, he created the world’s first encyclopedia on communications and carried out some research projects in this field.
In 1968, Gerbner created and participated in the Cultural Indicators Project , the goal of which was to document the effects of television programming on viewership. From his research he developed the famous cultivation theory.
In 1991, Gerbner founded the Cultural Environmental Movement , a media outlet focused on promoting diversity in the press.
In subsequent years, Gerbner continued to contribute to communication-related research and published several articles, essays, and books. His most notable works include the books Violence and Terror in the Mass Media (1988); The information rift: how computers and other information technologies influence the social distribution of power (1989); The debate on the global press (1993); and The Invisible Crises: What Control of the Media Means in the United States and the World (1996).
George Gerbner passed away from cancer in 2005, after a prolific career as a teacher, author, editor, and researcher.
Origin of cultivation theory
In 1968 Gerbner began work on the Cultural Indicators Project , an investigation into various media and their influence on people, primarily with regard to their behavior and their perception of the world.
The project focused on the analysis of the media and the consequences of exposure to them in the long term, since until then, studies on the effects of television on viewers only included short-term results.
The research focused on the analysis and documentation of the operation of television systems; the way in which messages were created and transmitted; the main ideas that were distributed through them, and the way in which they impacted the viewers. Mainly, he focused on how the messages “cultivated” certain perceptions in their recipients.
Characteristics and concepts of cultivation theory
Gerbner developed the cultivation theory in 1969 as a result of his research. This theory includes a set of hypotheses associated with the effects that arise in viewers after a prolonged period of exposure to television. While the theory can be applied to other media, Gerbner believed that television was the dominant medium in society and therefore the one with the greatest impact. In addition, he claimed that television was the most popular method in history (up to that time) to share information.
Gerbner’s research was not focused on the impact of a particular message, nor on the perceptions of individual viewers. He but rather in understanding the common pattern followed by television messages and the way in which they impacted people’s general perceptions.
Gerbner also argued that, despite several channel and television program options, the messages were limited and generally had a specific narrative.
The name of this theory refers to the way in which messages are transmitted on television, which little by little are “cultivating”, that is, creating or modifying certain perceptions in individuals.
Such perceptions of the real world presented by frequent viewers over time become a reflection of the more common messages conveyed by television. In addition, the cultivation theory states that:
- Repeated exposure to the media cultivates the belief that the messages being conveyed apply to the real world. What is known as the cruel world syndrome arises .
- Television restricts choice because it is aimed at large and different audiences. That is why it also cultivates similar perceptions in different people. The concept of integration or mainstreaming appears .
- The perceptions, attitudes, beliefs and values of people are molded according to the message transmitted by the media. In this way, the phenomenon of resonance occurs .
cruel world syndrome
The cruel world syndrome is a term coined by Gerbner to name a phenomenon that is related to violence on television and its perception by viewers.
Since the advent of television, there have been different studies on the way in which violence impacts people’s behavior, contributing to aggression. However, Gerbner became interested in studying how violence influenced people’s perceptions of violence in the real world.
Based on his research, Gerbner concluded that individuals who were exposed to violent content fairly frequently had a more negative and cruel view of the world and believed that the number of crimes, victims, and violence was greater than what actually occurred.
On the other hand, the sporadic viewers were more trusting, they saw the world in a more positive way and considered it less cruel and dangerous.
Integration or mainstreaming
Gerbner also mentioned another concept that is very prevalent today: mainstreaming .
Mainstreaming or integration is a phenomenon that, as its name indicates, consists of the way in which the different points of view of people “integrate”, transforming into a homogeneous vision of the world .
In other words, it is a process where frequent viewers, who consume television content for an extended period of time, will cultivate the same general opinion even though they have divergent opinions, after receiving the same messages for a long period of time. .
the resonance
Resonance is another phenomenon that explains the influence of television on people. It occurs when a message from the media coincides with the experience lived by the viewers.
This produces a double impact of the message that is broadcast on television, amplifying the effect of cultivating certain beliefs. For example, messages about crime or violence will have a greater resonance with a person who lives in a city with a high crime rate. In this way, the cruel world syndrome and integration into it will also be reinforced.
The theory of cultivation today
Although the theory of cultivation was used, basically, in the study of television, it served as the basis for subsequent research on other media and continues to be analyzed by specialists in psychology and mass communication. Also in sociological studies on the behavior of individuals and social groups.
Like other theories, crop theory has detractors who oppose the image of viewers as passive actors and the overly general approach to message and viewer analysis. Especially, taking into account the diversity of gender, culture and other aspects of the population.
At present, there are numerous studies on the effects of different media and social networks. In addition, they cover the analysis of perceptions, both positive and negative, about the family, sexuality, mental health, the environment, science, and other areas and in different segments of society. For example, an experimental study published in 2020 by the American Economic Association journal, American Economic Review , showed that deactivating the Facebook platform produced a subjective increase in well-being.
Another study on the mental health of adolescents who use the Instagram application, published in the Wall Street Journal in 2021, concluded that this platform has a negative impact on the majority of adolescents surveyed, mainly because it causes feelings of dissatisfaction and social pressure.
Bibliography
- Doval Avendaño, M. History of the effects of the media. (2019). Spain. Monserrat Doval Avendano.
- Llul, J. Media , Communication , Culture . (2013). Spain. Loverortu.
- Rueda Laffond, JC; Galan Fajardo, E.; Rubio Moraga, AL History of the media. (2014). Spain. Editorial Alliance.
- Allcott, H.; Braghieri, L.; Eichmeyer, S.; Gentzkow, M. The wellfare effects of social media. (2020). American Economic Review. AEA. Available at: https://pubs.aeaweb.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1257/aer.20190658
- Oliva, J. (2021, September 16). An Instagram study reveals that one in three adolescents has problems with her body for using the application . HD Technology. Available at: https://www.hd-tecnologia.com/un-estudio-de-instagram-revela-que-una-de-cada-tres-adolescentes-tiene-problemas-con-su-cuerpo- from her by -use-the-application /
