Final answer:
Seat preference does not significantly contribute to the audience's group makeup or their theatre experience, unlike cultural background, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factor from the list that does not contribute significantly to the audience's makeup as a group and their theatre experience is D. Seat preference.
Cultural background, socioeconomic status, and political affiliation are all sociological factors known to influence a person's perspective, which includes their perception and social interactions in a theatre setting.
These factors are part of an individual's everyday reality and play a role in the way a group experiences a theatre performance.
Seat preference, on the other hand, is more a personal comfort choice and does not generally affect the shared social dynamics or the collective theatre experience in a significant manner.