Mean World Syndrome

Mean world syndrome is the tendency for heavy TV viewers to believe that the world is a more hostile and unfriendly place than it actually is, to be more afraid of becoming a victim of violent crime, and to be more distrustful of others. The mean world effect is derived from cultivation theory as developed by George Gerbner in 1969. According to the theory, repeated exposure to media has small but cumulative effects on people's beliefs about what the real world is like.

There are first- and second-order components to mean world beliefs. First-order components are simple distortions in beliefs about the prevalence of crime. Second-order components are the ways these beliefs influence value judgments and attitudes toward th world.

Research has provided the strongest support for first-order components. Heavy TV viewers (defined as those who watch 4 hours per day or more) are more likely to believe in a mean world because television violence is more vivid than most day-to-day experiences and thus is remembered better. Vivid images have a disproportionate influence on decisions because people often base their decisions on the first thoughts that come to mind, rather than on accurate information. Thus, heavy TV viewers are more fearful about becoming victims of violence, more distrustful of others, and more likely to perceive the world as a dangerous, mean, and hostile place (Cantor provides a review of this research). Although the effects are cumulative over time, Peterson and Zill found evidence of mean world beliefs in children as young as 7 years old.

The degree to which people rely on television as a source of information depends on whether viewers think television provides an accurate depiction of the real world. News reports influence mean world beliefs more than other types of media, probably because they are perceived as more accurate. Also, Linda Heath and John Petraitis found that violent media makes people more afraid of crime in their own city than in their own neighborhood, probably because they have more firsthand experience with their own neighborhood. Television violence may also appear more accurate if people have experiences that confirm the mean world it portrays. Heavy television viewers who have experienced real-world violence are especially likely to endorse mean world beliefs.

There is also some evidence that biased estimates of violence change people's behavior. Heavy TV viewers are more likely to purchase a gun or a guard dog than are light TV viewers, and they show greater tolerance of police brutality and restrictions of civil liberties. Robert Putnam has even suggested that reduced trust in others causes the breakdown of social capital (civic participation), although further research is needed.