Cultivation theory, computer games & aggression
- Cultivation theory (Gerbner, 1969) is a theory of mass media which posits the idea that consumers of mass media (i.e. anyone with access to newspapers, TV, radio, film - and these days the internet) will ‘cultivate’ what they consume into a perception of reality
- Cultivation theory claims that the more exposure someone has to media images/message e.g. in the form of computer games, the more likely that their perceptions of reality will be distorted
- Examples of a distorted perception of reality which may evolve via regular computer gaming might include:
- Believing that the world is a violent/hostile place based on the number of violent computer games played regularly
- Over-estimating the likelihood that you will be involved in some sort of aggressive/violent interaction with one or more other people
- Developing stereotyped views of women, minorities, law enforcement etc.due to their representations in violent computer games
- Gerbner used the term ‘mean world syndrome’ which describes a cognitive bias to perceive the world as being more dangerous (i.e. ‘meaner’) than it actually is (in reality less than 2% of recorded crimes in the UK were violent assaults according to 2021 government figures)
- Although Gerbner focused on the impact of TV, the theory applies equally to computer games, particularly MMORPG (massively multiple online role-playing games)
- It is only by engaging in face-to-face/real-life contact with others (particularly people from social groups who may appear as stereotypes in computer games) that this tendency to a warped perception of reality can be reversed or modified (White, 2012)
Research which investigates cultivation theory, computer games & aggression
- Williams (2006) - a longitudinal, controlled experiment which found that over the course of one month, participants who played a violent computer game reported changed perceptions of real-world dangers
- Fox & Potocki (2015) - a survey of 351 adults (male and female) found a relationship between computer games, interpersonal aggression and hostile sexism i.e. the normalising of violence against women
A harmless bit of fun - or a cause for concern?
Exam Tip
If you are an avid gamer (and I’m not suggesting that this means that you are aggressive!) you can use your own expertise in this area to inform an exam answer on this topic. If you have played particularly violent or aggressive computer games then why not use details of such games to add a bit of detail and context to your exam answers - it will certainly be of great interest to the person marking your work!