Uses and gratifications theory.docx
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Usesandgratificationstheory
UsesandGratificationsTheory isanapproachtounderstandingwhypeopleactivelyseekoutspecificmediaoutletsandcontentforgratificationpurposes.Thetheorydiscusseshowusersproactively(?
) searchformediathatwillnotonlymeetagivenneedbutenhanceknowledge,socialinteractionsanddiversion. [1]
Itassumesthatmembersoftheaudiencearenotpassivebuttakeanactiveroleininterpretingandintegratingmediaintotheirownlives.Thetheoryalsoholdsthataudiencesareresponsible(可靠的) forchoosingmediatomeettheirneeds.Theapproachsuggeststhatpeopleusethemediatofulfillspecificgratifications.Thistheorywouldthenimplythatthemediacompeteagainstotherinformationsourcesforviewers'gratification. [2]
StagesoftheTheory
TheUsesandGratificationsTheorywasdevelopedfromanumberofpriorcommunicationtheoriesandresearchconductedbyfellowtheorists.
Stage1:
▪In1944 HertaHerzog begantolookattheearliestforms ofusesandgratificationswithherworkclassifyingthereasonswhypeoplechosespecifictypesofmedia.Forherstudy,Herzoginterviewedsoapoperafansandwasabletoidentifythreetypesofgratifications.Thethreegratificationscategories,basedonwhypeoplelistenedtosoapoperas,wereemotional,wishfulthinking,andlearning.[3]
▪In1970 AbrahamMaslow suggestedthatUsesandGratificationsTheorywasanextensionofthe NeedsandMotivationTheory.Thebasisforhisargumentwasthatpeopleactivelylookedtosatisfytheirneedsbasedonahierarchy.ThepyramidhierarchybeganonthebottomwithBiological/Physical,Security/Safety,Social/Belonging,Ego/Self-RespectandSelf-actualizationatthetop.[4]
▪In1954 WilburSchramm developedthefractionofselection,aformulafordeterminingwhichformofmassmediaanindividualwouldselect.Theformulahelpedtodecidetheamountofgratificationanindividualwouldexpecttogainfromthemediumoverhowmuchefforttheyhadtomaketoachievegratification.[5]
▪Stage2
▪In1969 JayBlumler and DenisMcQuail begantostudywhypeoplewatchedpoliticalprogramontelevision.The motivetheywereabletoidentifyhelpedlaythegroundworkfortheirresearchin1972andeventuallytheUsesandGratificationsTheory.[6]
▪In1972 DenisMcQuail, JayBlumler andJosephBrownsuggestedthattheusesofdifferenttypesofmediacouldbegroupedinto4categories.Thefourcategorieswere:
diversion,personalrelationships,personalidentityandsurveillance.[7]
▪In1973-74McQuail,BlumlerandBrownwerejoinedby ElihuKatz, MichaelGurevitch and HadassahHaas,intheirmediaexploration.Thecollaborativeresearchbegantoindicatehowpeoplesawthemassmedia.[8]
Stage3:
▪ThemostrecentinterestsurroundingUsesandGratificationsTheoryisthelinkbetweenthereasonwhymediaisusedandtheachievedgratification.[9]
UsesandGratificationsModel
AccordingtoKatz,BlumlerandGurevitch'sresearchtherewere5componentscomprisingtheUsesandGratificationsModel. Thecomponentsare:
▪“Theaudienceisconceivedasactive.” [10]
▪“Inthemasscommunication(大众传播) processmuchinitiativeinlinkinggratificationandmediachoicelieswiththeaudiencemember.” [11]
▪“Themediacompetewithothersourcesofsatisfaction.” [12]
▪“Methodologicallyspeaking,manyofthegoalsofmassmediausecanbederivedfromdatasuppliedbyindividualaudiencemembersthemselves.” [13]
▪“Valuejudgmentsabouttheculturalsignificanceofmasscommunicationshouldbesuspendedwhileaudienceorientationsareexploredontheirownterms.” [14]
HistoricalDevelopment
Beginninginthe1940’s,researchersbeganseeingpatternsundertheperspectiveoftheusesandgratificationstheoryinradiolisteners.[15] Earlyresearchwasconcernedwithtopicssuchaschildren'suseofcomicsandtheabsenceofnewspapersduringanewspaperstrike.Aninterestinmorepsychologicalinterpretationsemergedduringthistimeperiod.
In1948,Lasswellintroducedafour-functionalinterpretationof themediaonamacro-sociological(宏观社会学) level.Mediaservedthefunctionsofsurveillance,correlation,entertainmentandculturaltransmissionforbothsocietyandindividuals [16]
In1974,Katz,BlumlerandGurevitchrealizedthatmanyUsesandGratificationstudies,tothatpointintime,weremostlyfocusedonsevenareas.Theareaswere:
[17]
1. Thesocialandpsychologicaloriginsof
2. needswhichgenerate
3. expectations
4. ofmassmediaorothersources,whichleadto
5. differentialpatternsofmediaexposure(orengagementinotheractivities),resultingin
6. needgratificationsand
7. otherconsequences,perhapsmostlyunintendedones
Therefore,Katz,BlumlerandGurevitchdevelopedtheUsesandGratificationsmodeltobetterstudyhowandwhypeoplewereusingmediaforpersonalsatisfaction.
TheActiveAudience
JayBlumlerpresentedanumberofinterestingpoints,astowhyUsesandGratificationscannotmeasureanactiveaudience.Hestated,"TheissuetobeconsideredhereiswhetherwhathasbeenthoughtaboutUsesandGratificationsTheoryhasbeenanarticleoffaithandifitcouldnowbeconvertedintoanempiricalquestionsuchas:
Howtomeasureanactiveaudience?
"(Blumler,1979).Blumlerthenofferedsuggestionsaboutthekindsofactivitytheaudienceswereengagingwithinthedifferenttypesofmedia.
▪Utility :
“Usingthemediatoaccomplishspecifictasks”
▪Intentionality:
“Occurswhenpeople’spriormotivedetermineuseofmedia”
▪Selectivity:
“Audiencemembers’useofmediareflecttheirexistinginterests” [20]
▪ImperviousnesstoInfluence:
“Referstoaudiencemembers’constructingtheirownmeaningfrommediacontent” [21]
25yearslater,in1972,Blumler,McQuailandBrownextendedLasswell'sfourgroups.Theseincludedfourprimaryfactorsfor whichonemayusethemedia:
[22]
▪Diversion:
Escapefromroutineandproblems;anemotionalrelease [23]
▪PersonalRelationships:
Socialutilityofinformationinconversation;substitutionofmediaforcompanionship[24]
▪PersonalIdentityorIndividualPsychology:
Valuereinforcementorreassurance;self-understanding,realityexploration[25]
▪Surveillance:
Informationaboutfactorswhichmightaffectoneorwillhelponedooraccomplishsomething [26]
Katz,GurevitchandHaas(1973)sawmassmediaasameansbywhichindividualsconnectordisconnectthemselveswithothers.Theydeveloped35needstakenfromthelargelyspeculativeliteratureonthesocialandpsychologicalfunctionsofthemassmediaandputthemintofivecategories:
▪CognitiveNeeds:
Acquiringinformation,knowledgeandunderstanding[27]
▪MediaExamples:
Television(news),video(how-to),movies(documentariesorbasedonhistory)
▪AffectiveNeeds:
Emotion,pleasure,feelings[28]
▪MediaExamples:
Movies,television(soapoperas,sitcoms)
▪PersonalIntegrativeNeeds:
Credibility,stability,status[29]
▪MediaExamples:
Video
▪SocialIntegrativeNeeds:
Familyandfriends[30]
▪MediaExamples:
Internet(e-mail,instantmessaging,chatrooms,socialmedia)
▪TensionReleaseNeeds:
Escapeanddiversion [31]
▪MediaExamples:
Television,movies,video,radio,internet
edit NewMedia
TheapplicationofNewMediatotheUsesandGratificationsTheoryhasbeenpositive. [32] Theintroductionofthe Internet, socialmedia andtechnologicaladvanceshasprovidedanotheroutletforpeopletouseandseekgratificationthroughthosesources.BasedonthemodelsdevelopedbyKatz,Blumler,GurevitchandLasswell,individualscanchoosetoseekoutmediainoneoutlet,allfallingwithintheproscribedcategoriesofneed.Theonlydifferencenow,isthattheaudiencedoesnothavetogotomultiplemediaoutletstofulfilleachoftheirneeds. The Internet hascreatedadigitallibrary,allowingindividualsto haveaccesstoallcontentfromvariousmassmediumoutlets.
NewMediaExampleofUsesandGratificationsTheory
BeingImmersedinSocialNetworkingEnvironment:
FacebookGroups,UsesandGratification,andSocialOutcomes
[33]
In2007astudywasconductedtoexaminethe Facebook groupsusersgratificationsinrelationtotheircivicparticipationoffline.TheWebsurveypolled1,715collegestudents,ranginginagefrom18-29,whoweremembersof Facebook groups.Therespondentsweregiven16statementthroughanelectronicsurveyandasked“toratetheirlevelofagreementwithspecificreasonsforusing Facebook groups,includinginformationacquisitionaboutcampus/community,entertainment/recreation,socialinteractionwithfriendsandfamily,andpeerpressure/selfsatisfaction.”TheLikertscaleindicatedthe1wasstronglyagreeand6wasstronglydisagree.Toensurethoseresultswerenotskewed(歪曲的),therespondentswerealsoaskedtocompleteasetoflevelofagreementquestionstoproperlygaugetheirleveloflifesatisfaction.
Thestudyultimatelyyieldedresultsthroughprincipal (主要的)componentsfactoranalysiswithvarimaxrotation.TheresultsshowedthattherewerefourneedsforusingFacebookgroups,“socializing,entertainment,self-statusseeking,andinformation.”
GratificationReceivedfromUseofFacebookGroups
▪Socializing:
Studentsinterestedintalkingandmeetingwithotherstoachieveasenseofcommunityandpeersupportontheparticulartopicofthegroup
▪Entertainment:
Studentsengagedwiththegroupstoamusethemselves
▪Self-Seeking:
Studentsmaintainandseekouttheirpersonalstatus,aswellasthoseoftheirfriends,throughtheonlinegroupparticipation
▪Information:
Studentsusedthegrouptoreceiveinformationaboutrelatedeventsgoingonandoffcampus
edit TheoryCriticism
Thedatabehindthetheoryishardtoextrapolateandattimesisnotfound.Howeachaudience,individualandgroupperceivesagivenmediao