Socialization Effects of American Television on International Audiences

Abstract

In this chapter, author discusses three theories, such as cultivation theory, social cognitive theory and cognitive functional theory, which have been influential in describing the influence of American television on American audiences. The author applies these theories in an international context, and presents data from a study of American television in Russia. Cultivation theory suggests that television presents a distorted but uniform picture of reality that is internalized and accepted by heavy viewers, primarily because of the pervasiveness of the images. Social cognitive theory emphasizes not only the nature of the television stimulus, but also the intervening cognitive and motivational processes. Cognitive functional theory extends the cognitive and reinforcement principles of social cognitive theory and the perceived realism concept from cultivation theory to the analysis of how specific values and behaviors are learned and internalized. Learning is matched to behaviors and values depicted in specific television programs.

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