Revisiting Cultivation as a Gravitational Process: A Cross-National Comparison of the Cultivation of Fear and Mistrust

Matea Mustafaj, Jan Van Den Bulck

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Communication scholars have found varying levels of support for cultivation theory in the United States and abroad. Using a multilevel modeling approach and data from 27 countries (N > 51,000) from the fifth round of the European Social Survey, we found that the country in which a study is conducted explains a significant amount of the variance in violence-related outcome variables as well as in their relationship with television viewing. We further demonstrate how one cross-national contextual variable (welfare state regime) moderates cultivation relationships. For some of our outcomes, the relationships vary predictably across these groupings in a manner that strongly suggests mainstreaming. We propose that a macro-level approach would provide valuable insight into the complexities of cultivation theory.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)715-740
Number of pages26
JournalInternational Journal of Communication
Volume15
StatePublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • cultivation
  • European Social Survey
  • fear
  • mainstreaming
  • multilevel modeling
  • television

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication

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