CMN 101Y UCDAVIS Final Study Guide
Questions And Answers Latest Update
2024/2025
Cultivation Theory
How were the findings conducted? Answer: Conducted by Surveys because change happen over
years. Survey respondents were asked two types of questions:
one type focused on reports of TV exposure so that Gerbner could distinguish between heavy and light
viewers;
the second focused on perceptions of social reality that he thought media might cultivate.
What is the central claim of Cultivation Theory? Answer: refers to the independent contribution
television viewing makes to audience members' conceptions of social reality.
What counts as dramatic violence according to Gerbner's (the author of the theory) definition of the
term? Answer: "the overt expression of physical force (with or without a weapon, against self or
others) compelling action against one's will on pain of being hurt and/or killed or threatened to be so
victimized as part of the plot."
What does symbolic double jeopardy mean (according to the reading)? Answer: Their existence
(children, Hispanic/African American, elderly, blue collar workforce) is understated, but at the same
time their vulnerability to violence is overplayed. When written into the script, they are often made
visible in order to be victims. Not surprisingly, these are the very people who exhibit the most fear of
violence when the TV set is turned off.
, How are light and heavy viewers typically defined in Gerbner's research on Cultivation Theory? Answer:
Light Viewers- Self report two hours a day as upper limit (1/4 of population)
In between = in between 2-4 hours a day (1/2 of population)
Heavy Viewers (television type) - Watch 4 or more hours a day (1/4 of population)
What does cultivation differential mean? Answer: The difference in the percentage giving the
"television answer" within comparable groups of light and heavy TV viewers.
1. Positive correlation between TV viewing and fear of criminal victimization
a. Light viewers = fear of being victims 1/100
b. Heavy viewers = fear of being victims 1/10
c. ACTUAL = 1/10,000
2. Perceived activity of police
a. People with heavy viewing habits believe that 5 percent of society is involved in law enforcement.
b. People with light viewing habits estimate a more realistic 1 percent
3. General mistrust of people (Mean World Syndrome)
a. Those with heavy viewing habits are suspicious of other people's motives
What does mainstreaming refer to? Answer: The blurring, blending, and bending process by which
heavy TV viewers from disparate groups develop a common outlook through constant exposure to the
same images and labels.
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