The research for the Cultivation theory, theorises by George Gerbner, began in the mid 1960s and it's aim was to specifically look at how television and media effect and influence the audience' ideas and perceptions of everyday life.
-The main findings were that high frequency viewers (those who experience a lot of media and TV) are more susceptible to media messages and the beliefs that the messages are real and valid. These high frequency therefore have a 'model' created by the media of things such as violence in the world. Findings also suggested that the media's cultivated constructs are present in todays society and are re-presented but within different packaging e.g violence depicted by social media is also depicted by radio.
Some of attitudes studied included violence, gender, demographic, cultural representation and political attitudes. Low frequency viewers have less stereotypes and attitudes than high frequency viewers who's stereotypes and attitudes are all based on their experience of media. High frequency viewers are also more exposed to more violence and are then affected by the 'Mean World Syndrome' which is the belief cultivated by media that the world is a far worse place than it is in reality.
Limitations:
-One of the main principles of the theory is that television and media cultivate the status quo, they do not challenge it. This is no longer true as some media now try to challenge the status quo to promote equality.
-It focuses on TV and not other forms of media.
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