uses & gratifications€¦ · uses & gratifications main points 25 ①people are different...

Uses & GratificationsJ201 Introduction to Mass CommunicationFeb 3 -2016

Professor Lewis [email protected]#sjmc201

Last class – Cultivation main points

2

1) Media cultivate in viewers interpretations of the world in line with the TV world.

2) Heavy doses of violence in television result in a mean-world syndrome.

3) Among heavy TV users political attitudes tend to converge.

4) New interactive settings may enhance the cultivation of attitudes.

Uses & Gratifications - today’s class plan

3

① Individual needs.

② Differences with other media effect theories and assumptions.

③ Functions of media.

④ Issues for further discussion.

“What people do with media rather than what media does to people.”

(Elihu Katz)

The Uses & Gratifications approach

• Paradigm shift from content to audience.• Recognition of the importance of

individual differences.• Channel proliferation.

• Theoretical assumptions:• Individual differences lead to selection

of content.• Individual differences influence

message interpretation.


• Interactions between individual differences and use result in differentiated response to content.

• Shift to considering the motivations and behaviors of users.

• Shift to considering the audience as an active audience.


Changes in Habitshttp://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/business/media/

nielsen-playing-catch-up-as-tv-viewing-habits-change-and-digital-rivals-spring-up.html?ref=technology&_r=0

① Focus is no longer on the message/sender side of the equation.

② Does not assume direct influence from content.

③ Audience is no longer considered passive.

Differences with previous media effects research

④ Can’t explain media effects unless first you understand audience:

- Characteristics- Motivations- Content selection- Involvement with content

Differences with previous media effects research

Interacting with media content

① Communication as goal directed (purpose).

② Social and psychological factors filter and mediate media-behavior relationships.

③ Instead of being used by media, people select and use media to satisfy needs.

④ Media compete with other forms (functional alternatives) to satisfy needs (however… dependency can arise from patterns of use).

Assumptions of the U & G approach

Individual needs – Maslow’s 1943 hierarchy of needs

Individual needs

① Cognitive needs - Acquiring information, knowledge and understanding.

② Affective needs - Emotion, pleasure, feelings.

③ Personal integrative needs - Credibility, stability, status.

④ Social integrative needs - Family and friends.

⑤ Tension release needs- Escape and diversion

Individual needs that media can satisfy (Katz, Gurevitch & Haas, 1973)

① Surveys the environment – keeps users informed.

② Correlation of environmental parts – helps form more accurate holistic view.

③ Transmits societal norms and customs to new generations of viewers.

Functions of media (Three original functions - Lasswell)

④ Entertainment

⑤ Parasocial interactions

⑥ Escapism

⑦ Anxiety reduction

Additional Functions of media

• Combine message characteristics and audience psychological orientations.

• Combine direct effects models with individual differences model.

• Gratifications sought and attitude of viewer determine viewer’s attention.

• Effects on viewer depends on degree of involvement and intentions.

Explaining media use and effects

① Examining how different social & psychological circumstances affect media use motivations and ultimately media use.

① Comparing motives across media and with newer media.

② Trying to link gratifications sought with gratifications obtained (e.g. news “stumblers”on Facebook).

③ Linking selective media use to attitudes and behaviors.

Uses & Gratifications lines of inquiry

Uses & Gratifications study example 1


Youtube

Motive

Traditional news

Viewing

Comedy news

Viewing

Traditional news

Sharing

Comedy news

SharingEntertainment leisure

✓ ✓

Informationseeking

✓

Interpersonalexpression

✓ ✓

Companionship

• Does this approach overestimate audience activity?

• Does this approach veil the production processes of media content by focusing on the audience side of the equation?

• Gratifications sought versus obtained, but what about unintended consequences of media exposure?

Some issues to think about

Uses & gratifications main points

25

① People are different and these differences affect media use, message interpretation and effects.

② Audiences can be active and this impinges their processing of information.

③ Effects are not necessarily uniform, but contingent on predispositions and use.

④ Sometimes we are not as active users…

Questions

See you Friday!

uses & gratifications€¦ · uses & gratifications main points 25 ①people are different...

Documents