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: Recall the scholar.
George Gerbner was a Hungarian born American communication scholar. He led the Cultural Indicators project, which studied violence and long term effects of television.

Step 2: Match the theory to its main idea.
The long term effect of heavy television viewing on beliefs about the world is called cultivation. The project of Gerbner gave this name to the idea.

Step 3: Match the other theories with their owners.
Gate keeping goes with Lewin and White. Agenda setting goes with McCombs and Shaw. Uses and gratifications goes with Katz and Blumler. None of these is linked with Gerbner.

Step 4: Pick the answer.
Because only Cultivation Theory belongs to Gerbner, the answer is option 3.

Extra check: Why the other options fail.
Gate keeping is about editors choosing what news to print, and Lewin and White are its names. Agenda setting says the media decide what the public thinks about, and McCombs and Shaw are its names. Uses and gratifications asks why audiences pick a medium, and Katz and Blumler are its names. Each of these three belongs to another scholar, so options 1, 2 and 4 cannot be right.

Final Answer:
The theory by George Gerbner is the Cultivation Theory, option 3. \[ \boxed{\text{3}} \]