The Cultivation Effects of Serial and Mass Murder on Homicide Investigators

Date of Conferral

11-7-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Eric Hickey

Abstract

Research has indicated over the course of decades that media has an effect on the perception of crime and criminality. Since Gerbner’s inception of the cultivation theory, the effects of mass media have been studied and validated, causing viewers to be influenced in their perception of crime and criminality to believe it is more severe than it really is, more prevalent than it really is, and there are more instances of serial and mass murder than there really are. Within true crime presentations representations, the personality, modus operandi, motivations, and descriptions of serial and mass murderers is presented outside of known facts and, at least partially, fictionalized and indicate that the perception of serial and mass murder by viewers of true crime media is skewed. There is a distinct gap in the research as applied to the effects of true crime media on specific populations. The research questions addressed in this study centered around determining the misconceptions in a type of true crime media regarding serial and mass murderers and assessed a population of 41 homicide investigators and the cultivation effect on their approach to investigations through a series of surveys. The surveys were developed from the narrative analysis of media and the results were analyzed in regard to media misinformation. The proliferation of misinformation is of vital social significance, and the results of the study show that there is an effect on the perception of serial and mass murder due to true crime media wherein law enforcement professionals largely believe in the myths and stereotypes reinforced by the media presentations. Findings of this study may be used by law enforcement administration to better educate professionals and the public as to the effect that true crime media could have on homicide investigation.

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