Why do People Watch Television?

Uses and GratificationsWatching TV Soap OperasWatching TV Quiz ProgrammesCriticisms of 'Uses and Gratifications' Some Related Reading

Uses and Gratifications

One influential tradition in media research is referred to as 'uses andgratifications' (occasionally 'needs and gratifications'). This approachfocuses on

why

people use particular media rather than on content. Incontrast to the concern of the 'media effects' tradition with 'whatmedia do

people' (which assumes a homogeneous mass audienceand a 'hypodermic' view of media), U & G can be seen as part of abroader trend amongst media researchers which is more concernedwith 'what people do

with

media', allowing for a variety of responsesand interpretations. However, some commentators have argued thatgratifications could also be seen as effects: e.g. thrillers are likely togenerate very similar responses amongst most viewers. And who couldsay that they never watch more TV than they had intended to?Watching TV helps to shape audience needs and expectations.U & G arose originally in the 1940s and underwent a revival in the1970s amd 1980s. The approach springs from a

functionalist

paradigmin the social sciences. It presents the use of media in terms of thegratification of social or psychological needs of the individual (Blumler& Katz 1974). The mass media compete with other sources of gratification, but gratifications can be obtained from a medium'scontent (e.g. watching a specific programme), from familiarity with agenrewithin the medium (e.g. watching soap operas), from generalexposure to the medium (e.g. watching TV), and from the socialcontext in which it is used (e.g. watching TV with the family). U & Gtheorists argue that people's needs influence how they use andrespond to a medium. Zillmann (cited by McQuail 1987: 236) hasshown the influence of

mood

on media choice: boredom encouragesthe choice of exciting content and stress encourages a choice of relaxing content. The same TV programme may gratify different needsfor different individuals. Different needs are associated with individual

personalities, stages of maturation, backgrounds and social roles.Developmental factors seem to be related to some motives forpurposeful viewing: e.g. Judith van Evra argues that young childrenmay be particularly likely to watch TV in search of information andhence more susceptible to influence (Evra 1990: 177, 179).An empirical study in the U & G tradition might typically involveaudience members completing a questionnaire about why they watcha TV programme. Denis McQuail offers (McQuail 1987: 73) thefollowing typology of common reasons for media use:

Information

finding out about relevant events and conditions in immediatesurroundings, society and the worldseeking advice on practical matters or opinion and decision choicessatisfying curiosity and general interestlearning; self-educationgaining a sense of security through knowledge

Personal Identity

finding reinforcement for personal valuesfinding models of behaviouridentifying with valued other (in the media)gaining insight into one's self

Integration and Social Interaction

gaining insight into circumstances of others; social empathyidentifying with others and gaining a sense of belongingfinding a basis for conversation and social interactionhaving a substitute for real-life companionshiphelping to carry out social rolesenabling one to connect with family, friends and society

Entertainment

escaping, or being diverted, from problemsrelaxinggetting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic enjoymentfilling timeemotional releasesexual arousalBlumler & Katz (1974) argued that audience needs have social andpsychological origins which generate certain expectations about themass media, leading to differential patterns of media exposure whichresult in both the gratification of needs and in other (often unintended)consequences. This does assume an active audience making motivatedchoices. However, McQuail suggests that the dominant stance of recent researchers in this tradition is now that:Personal social circumstances and psychological dispositions togetherinfluence both... general habits of media use and also... beliefs andexpectations about the benefits offered by the media, which shape...specific acts of media choice and consumption, followed by....assessments of the value of the experience (with consequences forfurther media use) and, possibly... applications of benefits acquired inother areas of experience and social activity. (ibid: 235). James Lull (1990: 35-46) offers a typology of the social uses of television based on

ethnographic research

Social Uses of Television

Structural

Environmental

: background noise; companionship; entertainment

Regulative

: punctuation of time and activity; talk patterns

Relational