2. Introduction
0 Uses and gratifications theory (UGT) is an approach to
understanding why and how people actively seek out specific
media to satisfy specific needs. UGT is an audience-centered
approach to understanding mass communication. Diverging
from other media effect theories that question "what does
media do to people?", UGT focuses on "what do people do
with media?
3. About The Theory
0 This communication theory is positivistic in its approach,
based in the socio-psychological communication tradition, and
focuses on communication at the mass media scale. The
driving question of UGT is: Why do people use media and
what do they use them for? UGT discusses how users
deliberately choose media that will satisfy given needs and
allow one to enhance knowledge, relaxation, social
interactions/companionship, diversion, or escape
4. Audience Theory
0 It assumes that audience members are not passive
consumers of media. Rather, the audience has power over
their media consumption and assumes an active role in
interpreting and integrating media into their own lives. Unlike
other theoretical perspectives, UGT holds that audiences are
responsible for choosing media to meet their desires and
needs to achieve gratification. This theory would then imply
that the media compete against other information sources for
viewers' gratification
5. UGT Assumptions
Given these differing theories, UGT is unique in its assumptions:
0 The audience is active and its media use is goal oriented
0 The initiative in linking need gratification to a specific medium
choice rests with the audience member
0 The media compete with other resources for need satisfaction
0 People have enough self-awareness of their media use, interests,
and motives to be able to provide researchers with an accurate
picture of that use.
0 Value judgments of media content can only be assessed by the
audience.
6. The Active Audience
0 Jay Blumler presented a number of interesting points, as to why Uses and
Gratifications cannot measure an active audience. He stated, "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 a question such as: How to measure an active audience?"
(Blumler, 1979). Blumler then offered suggestions about the kinds of activity
the audiences were engaging with in the different types of media.
0 Utility : "Using the media to accomplish specific tasks”
0 Intentionality: "Occurs when people's prior motive determine use of media”
0 Selectivity: "Audience members' use of media reflect their existing interests”
0 Imperviousness to Influence: "Refers to audience members' constructing
their own meaning from media content
7. Continued
25 years later, in 1972, Blumler, McQuail and Brown extended
Lasswell's four groups. These included four primary factors for which
one may use the media:
0 Diversion: Escape from routine and problems; an emotional
release
0 Personal Relationships: Social utility of information in
conversation; substitution of media for companionship
0 Personal Identity or Individual Psychology: Value reinforcement
or reassurance; self-understanding, reality exploration
0 Surveillance: Information about factors which might affect one or
will help one do or accomplish something
8. Modern Day Needs
0 Katz, Gurevitch and Haas (1973) saw 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:
0 Cognitive Needs: Acquiring information, knowledge and
understanding
0 Affective Needs: Emotion, pleasure, feelings
0 Personal Integrative Needs: Credibility, stability, status
0 Social Integrative Needs: Family and friends
0 Tension Release Needs: Escape and diversion
