Partial test 1 lecture 2 Study cultivation theory, priming and social

Question 1

Basic definition of cultivation theory

Answer 1

The overall pattern of TV messages cultivates, after repeated exposure over a long period of time, a shared perception of the world. Watching a lot of TV changes our beliefs about reality.

Question 2

Three research foci of cultivation theory

Answer 2

1. Institutional process analysis
2. Message system analysis
3. Cultivation analysis

Question 3

The cultivation theory was established by …

Answer 3

George Gerbner

Question 4

What is ‘Institutional process analysis’

Answer 4

Knowing what is going on behind the TV shows. (The motivation and policies of the media organisations.)

Question 5

What is ‘Message system analysis’

Answer 5

Content analysis of what is actually portrayed on television. Aimed to identify patterns in television content (like how often do they show violence).

Question 6

What are the Cultivation analysis first order effects

Answer 6

Cultivated prevalence estimates. Example; people start believing it is more likely to be attacked on the street than it actually is.

Question 7

What are the Cultivation analysis second order effects

Answer 7

Peoples actual beliefs and morals start to change. They could start believing in a mean or just world.

Question 8

What is the ‘mean world syndrome’?

Answer 8

Believing that the world is a bad place. Example, you watch a lot of CSI and now you believe people get killed on a daily basis.

Question 9

What is the cultivation differential?

Answer 9

Percentage difference in giving TV answers between heavy and light TV viewers.

Question 10

What are TV answers?

Answer 10

Answers based on the likelihood that something happens on TV instead of in real life.

Question 11

Two propositions of cultivation theory

Answer 11

1. Mainstreaming

2. Resonance

Question 12

Explain ‘Mainstreaming’

Answer 12

Heavy TV viewing behavior causes everyone to start sharing the same beliefs.

Question 13

Explain ‘Resonance’

Answer 13

When the TV world resembles aspects of people’s real world, then they are more likely to get cultivated ideas from watching a particular show.

Question 14

Critique on cultivation theory

Answer 14

Difficult to establish causality; you don’t know if people watch a lot of TV because they are afraid of the world OR if they are afraid of the world because they watch a lot of TV.
So many different media now, that it is difficult to see the TV as a powerful medium.
Difficult to measure, because there is no before and after, TV is a part of our lives.

Question 15

Explain ‘Accessibility principle’

Answer 15

The more we get confronted with certain messages, the easier we can acces it in our brains. So, we are likely to use that information when making decisions in real life.

Question 16

Explain ‘Priming’

Answer 16

All concepts and ideas in our brain are somehow interconnected and when one concept is activated, all linked concepts are also activated.

Question 17

How does priming work with television

Answer 17

The more people see certain concepts on television, the stronger they get interconnected with other concepts in their brain.

Question 18

Explain ‘Activation recency-hypothesis’

Answer 18

The more a certain category in our brain is activated, the more likely we are to use it to make decisions in life. (It becomes chronically accessible if it is repeated frequently).

Question 19

Social learning theory by …

Answer 19

Albert Bandura

Question 20

Social learning theory in general

Answer 20

People learn from modelling after behaviour they have observed from others. Like parents, teachers or friends.

Question 21

Social learning theory applied to media

Answer 21

People learn from modelling after behaviour that they observe from characters on TV

Question 22

Three steps of observational learning

Answer 22

1. Attention
2. Retention
3. Motivation

Question 23

Explain attention in social learning theory

Answer 23

Before we can learn from something it first has to grab our attention

Question 24

Explain retention in social learning theory

Answer 24

We don’t immediately act upon behaviour we observe on TV. We save it in our heads for when we might need it. Because of this we can apply the same behaviour in different situations and contexts.

Question 25

Explain motivation in social learning theory

Answer 25

What observed behaviour we do and do not model after depends on our outcome expectancies.
When we expect rewards, we do copy the behaviour.
When we expect punishment, then we do not copy the behaviour.

Question 26

How did Albert Bandura test his social learning theory?

Answer 26

The Bobo doll experiment; Let kids observe adults kicking a doll in real life and on a screen and observe how the kids behave afterwards.

Question 27

Counter theories of the Social learning theory

Answer 27

1. Excitation transfer theory

2. Catharsis theory

Question 28

Explain ‘Excitation transfer theory’

Answer 28

Aggressive behaviour is caused by arousal. When watching violence on TV, we get aroused and want to ac t on it ourselves.

Question 29

Explain ‘Catharsis theory’

Answer 29

Watching violence on TV is actually a way to blow off steam and therefore it makes us less aggressive in real life.

Question 30

Critique on social learning theory

Answer 30

The experiment of this theory does not resemble the real world. The theory is just too broad to test in entirety and therefore it is too difficult to find a good causality relationship.