Question

Which of the following theories was postulated by George Gerbner ?

• A. Gate Keeping Theory
• B. Agenda Setting Theory
• C. Cultivation Theory
• D. Uses and Gratifications Theory

Hint:

Gerbner is linked to heavy TV viewing and the mean world idea.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question
The question asks us to link George Gerbner with one of the media theories. Each option is a well known theory with a different scholar behind it.

Step 2: Check option 1: Gate Keeping Theory.
This theory was introduced by Kurt Lewin and applied to news by David Manning White. It explains how editors decide which items pass through to the audience. It is not Gerbner's. So option 1 is wrong.

Step 3: Check option 2: Agenda Setting Theory.
This theory was proposed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in 1972. It says media decide which issues the public thinks about. So option 2 is wrong.

Step 4: Check option 3: Cultivation Theory.
George Gerbner developed it in the 1960s and 1970s. It says that heavy television viewers start to see the real world in the way TV shows it, and this is called the mean world syndrome. So option 3 is right.

Step 5: Check option 4: Uses and Gratifications Theory.
This theory was developed by Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler and others. It asks what people do with media, not what media do to people. So option 4 is wrong.

Final Answer:
Gerbner postulated the Cultivation Theory. This is option 3.