Assumptions about Television Selectivity
A first assumption of cultivation scholars is that television content is relatively consistent (Gerbner & Gross, 1976). There is a ”pattern of settings, casting, social typing, actions, and related outcomes that cuts across most program types and defines the world of television” (Gerbner, Gross, Morgan, & Signorielli, 1986, p. 19). Scholars, though, have located content and thematic differences across program types and dayparts (Gerbner et al., 1979; Greenberg, 1980; Potter & Ware, 1987).
A second assumption of cultivation is that television viewing is nonselective and ritualistic (Gerbner & Gross, 1976). People watch ”by the clock” and watch ”whatever is offered to them” (Gerbner, 1990, p. 254). There have been several challenges to this assumption. Studies have observed that exposure to different program types better explains cultivation effects than overall television exposure (Hawkins & Pingree, 1981; Potter & Chang, 1990; Rubin et al., 1988). Cultivation of different perceptions and attitudes in people appears to be related to exposure to specific television program genres, rather than to undifferentiated television exposure.