Acculturation,Cultivation,and Daytime TV Talk Shows

Abstract

This study explored the cultivation phenomenon among international college students in the United States by examining the connection between levels of acculturation, daytime TV talk show viewing, and beliefs about social reality. It was expected that international students who were heavy viewers of daytime TV talk shows and who scored low on a measure of acculturation about the United States would hold the most negative perceptions and attitudes concerning U.S. society. Three specific hypotheses were tested. International students who score low on acculturation and watch a great deal of daytime talk shows should (1) overestimate the frequency of certain undesirable behaviors in the United States, (2) have more negative attitudes toward human relationships in the United States, and (3) have more negative perceptions of human relationships in the United States. The first hypothesis received limited support while the second and third received strong support.