UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Cultivation theory,developed by Gerbner and colleagues,proposes that heavy and prolonged television viewing cultivates a particular view of social reality among audiences. Over time,viewers' perceptions become more similar to the recurrent messages in TV content. The stem directly describes this long term shaping of perceptions. Therefore,it refers to cultivation theory.

Option A:
Spiral of silence deals with expressing opinions in public when they are perceived as minority views,not with long term exposure.

Option B:
Agenda setting focuses on which issues are seen as important,not on detailed perceptions of social reality.

Option C:
Uses and gratifications emphasises active audience choice,not cumulative shaping of beliefs by exposure.

Option D:
Cultivation highlights how television can create a "mean world" or other biased views,making option B correct.

Cultivation theory,developed by George Gerbner and others,holds that heavy and prolonged television viewing gradually cultivates a particular view of reality in audiences. For example,constant exposure to crime shows may lead viewers to overestimate crime rates. The stem emphasises this long term shaping of social reality,which is the core idea of cultivation theory.

Option A:
The theory focuses on cumulative exposure rather than single messages and suggests that television acts as a central storyteller in modern culture. This emphasis aligns exactly with the description in the question,making this option correct.

Option B:
Agenda setting theory deals with how media influence which issues people think about by giving them more coverage,not with deep beliefs about reality.

Option C:
Spiral of silence theory explains why people may withhold opinions perceived as unpopular due to fear of isolation,which is a different phenomenon.

Option D:
Uses and gratifications theory views audiences as active users of media to satisfy needs and motives but does not focus on gradual shaping of reality perceptions.