Complete 3 page APA formatted essay: Theorizing: Gerbner's Cultivation Theory.3). Gerbner and Gross has named television as ‘cultural indicator’ as they think that TV viewing changes the perceptio

Complete 3 page APA formatted essay: Theorizing: Gerbner's Cultivation Theory.

3). Gerbner and Gross has named television as ‘cultural indicator’ as they think that TV viewing changes the perception of reality of its viewers (1976, p. 3).

Defining the name of the research is essential to avoid confusion and misunderstanding (Chaffee, 1996, p. 22). This also involves a hypothesis as the explanation should contain the uniqueness of the title,

and uniqueness can be explained only by explaining the intention behind using that name (Chaffee, 1996, p. 22). Gerbner and Gross have done an excellent job in defining all the aspects in their research very clearly. Different aspects of the research like ‘violence’, ‘program’ (p.13), ‘violent action’, ‘characters’ (p.14) and ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ viewers (p.22) are defined very precisely (Gerbner & Gross, 1976).

Constant exposure to TV make people to cultivate the ‘reality’ that is shown on TV and to think that whatever is shown on TV is truth (Gerbner and Gross, p.5). TV is one common medium of people belonging to all communities and it is taken so seriously that people believe the national events only when they are shared by television (Gerbner and Gross, p.5). Television is the only medium which is watched by viewers without imposing their choice on programs (Gerbner and Gross, 1976, p.6). Television has replaced the symbolism and the myth of religion and hence, has become more influential and powerful than religion (Gerbner and Gross, 1976, p.6). Hence, the authors say that people cultivate the ‘reality’ from TV.

To form a theory, the researcher has to create a ‘specific’ aspect of the observation, make it a central concept of research, introduce a hypothesis and then prove the hypothesis real (Chaffee, 1996, p. 17). Finally, when the hypothesis is proved correct through experiments, observation and research, then the researcher can form a new theory on the basis of his