Fear of Crime and Cultivation Effect. Social and Psychological Predictors

Abstract

Within the framework of the study of cultivation, the present research attempts to study the association between general TV consumption, particular TV news, and fear of crime. The analysis considers narrative transportation and system justification as psychological predictor variables; in addition, sex, level of crime in the area of residence, and social class as social covariates. Participants were 516 young (M = 20.5 years, SD = 4.7) Costa Ricans. A hierarchical regression analysis (stepwise) was made. Results indicated that people who experienced more narrative transportation, less system justification as women, and low social class, have higher levels of fear of crime. Results are discussed from the need to expand the cultivation hypothesis of fear of crime.