1. Think of your favorite TV show. Using Gerbner’s definition of dramatic violence,
how much violence is in the show? Why do you think that’s the case?
2. According to Gerbner, are you a heavy viewer, a light viewer, or something in
between? How do your TV viewing habits influence your beliefs about crime?
Politics? Health? Relationships? Anything else?
3. This chapter uses a magnetic cue ball to explain resonance and mainstreaming.
Can you think of another illustration to help explain these concepts to someone
unfamiliar with cultivation theory?
4. Why do you think cultivation theory has received so much criticism? Which
critique of the theory do you find most troubling, and why?
