In Exercises 18, write a positive or negative integer that

Cultivation Theory: Chapter 29 Cultivation Theory  Gerbner claimed that heavy television users develop an exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world o Regarded television as dominant force in shaping society  Violence, a major staple of the TV world o Gerbner concerned the violence affects viewers’ beliefs about the world around them o Mean world syndrome: cynical mindset of general mistrust of others, held by heavy TV viewers Institutional Process Analysis: The First Prong  Institutional process analysis: research that penetrates behind the scenes of media organizations to understand what policies or practices they employ o Hollywood concerned with how to export its product globally for maximum profit at minimum cost Message System Analysis: The Second Prong  Message system analysis: research that involves careful study of TV content o Developed to measure violence but used for other content as well (e.g. smoking)  An index of violence o Dramatic Violence: Overt expression or thresat of physical force as part of plot o Ex: “If you don’t do this, I will beat you up” o Definition rules out verbal abuse, ideal threats, and pie-in- the-face slapstick o Includes physical abuse presented in cartoon format o Really bad  Equal Violence, Unequal Risk o Over half of prime-time programs contain actual bodily harm or threatened violence  Weekend children’s shows average 20 cases an hour  By the time the typical TV viewer graduates from high school, he or she has observed 13,000 violent deaths Cultivation Analysis: The Third Prong  Cultivation analysis: Research designed to find support for the idea that those who spend more time watching TV are more likely to see the real world through TV lens Mainstreaming: Blurring, Blending, and Bending of Attitudes  Mainstreaming: blurring, blending, and bending process by which heavy TV viewers from different groups develop a common outlook through constant exposure to the same images and lables  Example: That’s what she said joke from the office  What types of ideas or norms could be influenced by constant TV viewing o Two men kissing on TV, cussing, ect, sleeping around Resonance: The TV World Looks Like my World, So it Must be True  Resonance: condition that exists when viewers’ real-life environment is like the world of TV; those viewers are most susceptible to TV’s cultivating power o Ex: I live in a city, I watch crime dramas that depict a dangerous city, therefore, my city must be dangerous The Major Findings of Cultivation Analysis  Cultivation differential: Difference in percent giving the “television answer” within comparable groups of light and heavy views o Ex: people who watch lots of TV think there are fewer old people today than there used to be o Why Because few shows feature older adults  Research revealed provocative findings o Positive correlation between TV viewing and fear of criminal victimization  Heavy viewers believe criminal activity is 10 times worse than it really is  Real answers and TV viewing answers o Perceived activity of police  Heavy viewers believe that 5% of society is involved in law enforcement  More like .003% Critique: Is the Cultivation Differential Real, Large, Crucial  Critics contend Gerbner’s original assumptions no longer valid with expansion of television programming o People no longer only watch “The Big Three” TV networks  How does this impact the theory: use of social media to get the news, opportunity to watch different things Cultivation Theory: Chapter 29 Cultivation Theory  Gerbner claimed that heavy television users develop an exaggerated belief in a mean and scary world o Regarded television as dominant force in shaping society  Violence, a major staple of the TV world o Gerbner concerned the violence affects viewers’ beliefs about the world around them o Mean world syndrome: cynical mindset of general mistrust of others, held by heavy TV viewers Institutional Process Analysis: The First Prong  Institutional process analysis: research that penetrates behind the scenes of media organizations to understand what policies or practices they employ o Hollywood concerned with how to export its product globally for maximum profit at minimum cost Message System Analysis: The Second Prong  Message system analysis: research that involves careful study of TV content o Developed to measure violence but used for other content as well (e.g. smoking)  An index of violence o Dramatic Violence: Overt expression or thresat of physical force as part of plot o Ex: “If you don’t do this, I will beat you up” o Definition rules out verbal abuse, ideal threats, and pie-in- the-face slapstick o Includes physical abuse presented in cartoon format o Really bad  Equal Violence, Unequal Risk o Over half of prime-time programs contain actual bodily harm or threatened violence  Weekend children’s shows average 20 cases an hour  By the time the typical TV viewer graduates from high school, he or she has observed 13,000 violent deaths Cultivation Analysis: The Third Prong  Cultivation analysis: Research designed to find support for the idea that those who spend more time watching TV are more likely to see the real world through TV lens Mainstreaming: Blurring, Blending, and Bending of Attitudes  Mainstreaming: blurring, blending, and bending process by which heavy TV viewers from different groups develop a common outlook through constant exposure to the same images and lables  Example: That’s what she said joke from the office  What types of ideas or norms could be influenced by constant TV viewing o Two men kissing on TV, cussing, ect, sleeping around Resonance: The TV World Looks Like my World, So it Must be True  Resonance: condition that exists when viewers’ real-life environment is like the world of TV; those viewers are most susceptible to TV’s cultivating power o Ex: I live in a city, I watch crime dramas that depict a dangerous city, therefore, my city must be dangerous The Major Findings of Cultivation Analysis  Cultivation differential: Difference in percent giving the “television answer” within comparable groups of light and heavy views o Ex: people who watch lots of TV think there are fewer old people today than there used to be o Why Because few shows feature older adults  Research revealed provocative findings o Positive correlation between TV viewing and fear of criminal victimization  Heavy viewers believe criminal activity is 10 times worse than it really is  Real answers and TV viewing answers o Perceived activity of police  Heavy viewers believe that 5% of society is involved in law enforcement  More like .003% Critique: Is the Cultivation Differential Real, Large, Crucial  Critics contend Gerbner’s original assumptions no longer valid with expansion of television programming o People no longer only watch “The Big Three” TV networks  How does this impact the theory: use of social media to get the news, opportunity to watch different things