The perception of distance in the cultivation process: A theoretical consideration of the relationship between television content, processing experience, and perceived distance

This article proposes an integrative theoretical perspective of the cultivation process, starting from the notion that subjective social reality is organized in "zones of relevance," with some social elements being closer, and some more remote, to an individual's everyday life (L. P. Berger & T. Luckmann, 1967; A. Schutz, 1970b). Media effects are assumed to depend on such a perception of distance that modifies the mode in which television content is processed, stored, and integrated into existing beliefs and attitudes. Two notions of closeness are elaborated for television viewing: experiential closeness, emphasizing the personal biographical situation, and mediated closeness, focusing on the narrative experience. Recent theoretical approaches to cultivation and research on transportation into narratives are integrated within the framework of perceived distance.