Exploring Uses and Gratifications

This project explored two questions: (1) whether uses are specific to program type or medium and (2) whether the factorial solutions are replicable. Two separate studies were conducted. For each study two versions of a uses questionnaire were administered. The Medium version asked respondents to answer in terms of television. The Program Type version asked respondents to answer in terms of their favorite program type. In Study, I, 142 persons answered the Medium version and 128 answered the Program-Type version. In Study II, ns were 227 and 219, respectively. The general pattern of results indicates respondents do not identify Medium-specific or Program-specific uses. The lack of differentiation found here suggests: (1) additional assessment of the relationship of medium and content in needed, (2) pending additional evidence, medium and content should be considered related variables in uses and gratifications research and research not incorporating their interaction should be evaluated carefully, and (3) additional theoretical analysis of the meaning of uses and gratifications reports is necessary to define the relationship suggested here.