“Harmonious Middle Kingdom and Dangerous Beautiful Country?” Exploring Cultivation Effects of Domestic and U.S.-Made TV Programs on Chinese College Students?” Exploring Cultivation Effects of Domestic and U.S.-Made TV Programs on Chinese College Students

Authors

  • Yong Tang Western Illinois University
  • Xue Dou Ritsumeikan University
  • Mary Beth Oliver Penn State University

Keywords:

cultivation effects, Chinese college students, China Central Television, Voice of China, media censorship, U.S. TV programming, crime prevalence, social trust, harmonious Middle Kingdom syndrome, dangerous Beautiful Country syndrome

Abstract

This study examines cultivation effects of Chinese and U.S. TV content on Chinese college students. It surveyed 112 students from a university in Beijing about their weekly viewing hours of Chinese TV, including China Central Television (CCTV), and U.S.-made TV programming. Participants also reported their perceived prevalence of crime in China and the United States and their estimation of helpfulness, trustworthiness, and fairness of Chinese and American people. Findings revealed that American TV content seems to have a much bigger cultivation effect than Chinese TV programming. CCTV viewing was associated with perceptions that people in China are helpful. Viewing of U.S. programming was associated with heightened perceptions of crime in both China and the United States.

Author Biographies

Yong Tang, Western Illinois University

Associate professor of journalism and media lawDirector of Journalism ProgramDepartment of Broadcasting and JournalismCollege of Fine Arts and CommunicationWestern Illinois University

Xue Dou, Ritsumeikan University

Associate ProfessorCollege of Comprehensive PsychologyRitsumeikan UniversityKyoto, Japan

Mary Beth Oliver, Penn State University

Distinguished ProfessorCollege of CommunicationsPennsylvania State University210 Carnegie BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16802Phone: 814-863-5552 

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Published

2018-10-08

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Section

Articles