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 language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 715-740 |
Number of pages | 26 |
Journal | International Journal of Communication |
Volume | 15 |
State | Published - 2021 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- cultivation
- European Social Survey
- fear
- mainstreaming
- multilevel modeling
- television
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication