Most heavy viewers are unaware of any influence of television viewing on their attitudes and values. The cultivation effect of television viewing is one of 'levelling' or 'homogenizing' opinion. Gerbner and his associates argue that heavy viewers of violence on television come to believe that the incidence of violence in the everyday world is higher than do light viewers of similar backgrounds. They refer to this as a mainstreaming effect. Misjudging the amount of violence in society is sometimes called the 'mean world syndrome'.
Heavy viewers tend to believe that the world is a nastier place than do light viewers.
They found that heavy viewing led to a 'television-biased' view of Australia as a 'mean and violent' place. The children with the bleakest picture of Australia were those who most watched American crime adventure programmes. Oddly, they did not judge the USA to the same extent by these programmes. Gerbner reported evidence for 'resonance' - a 'double dose' effect which may boost cultivation. This is held to occur when the viewer s everyday life experiences are congruent with those depicted in the television world.