Uses and Gratifications: Elements
"The Uses and Gratifications position reminds us that theoretical propositions in our field need to be tested for their plausibility against the realities of audience experience" (Blumler, 1979).
In 1974, Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch realized that most Uses and Gratification studies were most concerned with: 1. The social and psychological origins of 2. needs which generate 3. expectations 4. of mass media or other sources, which lead to 5. differential patterns of media exposure (or engagement in other activities), resulting in 6. need gratifications and 7. other consequences, perhaps mostly unintended ones (Severin and Tankard, 1997).
Other models of Uses and Gratifications include:
The audience is conceived as active; this is an important part of mass media use as it is assumed to be goal directed.
In the mass communication process, much initiative in linking need gratification and media choice lies with the audience member.
The media compete with other sources of need satisfaction (Severin and Tankard, 1997).
Blumler made some interesting points why Uses and Gratifications cannot measure an active audience. "The issue to be considered here is whether what has been thought about Uses and Gratifications Theory has been an article of faith and if it could now be converted into an empirical question such as: How to measure an active audience?" (Blumler, 1979).
It has not been done for these reasons. The notion of active audience has conflated an extraordinary range of meanings, including utility, intentionality, selectivity and imperviousness to influence.
Utility -- Mass communication has uses to people.
Intentionality -- Media consumption is directed by prior motivation.
Selectivity -- Media behavior reflects prior interests and preferences.
Imperviousness -- The lessened ability of media to influence an obstinate audience (Blumler, 1979).
In 1948, Lasswell introduced a four-functional interpretation of the media on a macro-sociological level. Media served the functions of surveillance, correlation, entertainment and cultural transmission for both society and individuals (Blumler and Katz, 1974).
In 1972, Blumler and Brown extended Lasswell's four groups 25 years later. These included four primary factors for which one may use the media:
Diversion -- Escape from routine and problems; an emotional release.
Personal Relationships -- Social utility of information in conversation; substitution of media for companionship.
Personal Identity or Individual Psychology -- Value reinforcement or reassurance; self-understanding, reality exploration.
Surveillance -- Information about factors which might affect one or will help one do or accomplish something (Severin and Tankard, 1997) (Blumler and Katz, 1979).
In a 1973 study by Katz, Gurevitch and Haas, they saw the mass media as a means by which individuals connect or disconnect themselves with others. They developed 35 needs taken from the largely speculative literature on the social and psychological functions of the mass media and put them into five categories:
Cognitive needs -- Acquiring information, knowledge and understanding.
Affective needs -- Emotion, pleasure, feelings.
Personal integrative needs -- Credibility, stability, status.
Social integrative needs -- Family and friends.
Tension release needs -- Escape and diversion (Severin and Tankard, 1997).
Furthermore, Weiss concluded that the Uses and Gratifications of media seemed to fit into the four categories of time filling, relaxation or diversion, and social and personal needs. Overall, the categories in which the Uses and Gratifications elements fall have worked best to Blumler and Brown's model (Diversion, Personal Relationships, Personal Identity and Surveillance).
Uses and Gratifications:
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