How Media Cultivates Body Perception and Sexual Attitudes: The Effect of Television, Magazines, Video Games, and Internet

In the late 1960s, George Gerbner developed cultivation theory to understand how exposure to television shapes individuals’ perceptions, particularly violence in the real world. Research using cultivation theory consistently showed that heavy television viewers were more likely to perceive the world as more violent, even after controlling for negative experiences involving violent situations. Gerbner later extended cultivation research to sex-role stereotypes and sexuality (Morgan and Shanahan, 2010).

Using cultivation theory, the current study explores how different types of media influence individuals’ body perception and sexual attitudes. The media studied are television, magazines, video games, and internet. The sexual attitudes studies are acceptance to hooking-up (casual sexual encounter) and rape myths. For the current study, we collected data from undergraduate students at an American university, using an online survey. The data indicate that body perception and sexual attitudes differ by media type consumed.  More specifically, we find that (1) controlling for gender and self-esteem, exposure to television, magazines, video games, and internet is negatively associated with individuals’ evaluation of self body image, and that (2) high exposure to television, magazines, video games, and internet correlates to more mythical sexual attitudes and sex-role stereotypes. We will discuss the implications of the results and provide suggestions for improving self body perception and eliminating sexual myths.

Reference
Morgan A and Shanahan J (2010) The state of cultivation. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media 54(2): 337-355.