Uses and Gratification Theory
Uses and Gratification Theory
Uses and Gratification Theory
PRESENTED BY:
MUQQADAS AFZAAL
ZAUHA TARIQ
KHADIJA SHAHID
ORIGIN/ BACKGROUND HISTORY
1940 1954
1944 1954
West and Turner Wilbur Schramm
• Herzog interviewed various soap opera fans and was • Wilbur Schramm developed the fraction of selection, a
able to identify three types of gratifications. Emotional, formula for determining which form of mass media an
wishful thinking, and learning individual would select.
Elihu Katz first introduced the Uses and
Gratification Approach, when he came up
with the notion that people use the media to
their benefit. The perspective emerged in the
early 1970’s as Katz and his two colleagues,
Jay Blumler and Michael Gurevitch continued
to expand the idea. This theory was
contemporary because it contradicted older
views that assumed the audience was a passive
group. The Uses and Gratifications Approach
views the audience as active, meaning that
they actively seek out specific media and
content to achieve certain results or
1970 Jay G. Blumler gratifications that satisfy their personal needs.
MEDIA SELECTION
Second, people are aware of their reasons for selecting different media
options. They rely on their knowledge of their motivations to make
media choices that will help them meet their specific wants and needs.
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 an
empirical question such as: How to measure an active audience?" (Blumler,
1979). Blumler then offered suggestions about the kinds of activity the
THE ACTIVE audiences were engaging with in the different types of media.
Utility : "Using the media to accomplish specific tasks“
AUDIENCE Intentionality: "Occurs when people's prior motive determine use of
media" Selectivity: "Audience members' use of media reflect them
existing interests" Imperviousness to Influence: "Refers to audience
members' constructing their own meaning from media content"
USES AND GRATIFICATIONS ELEMENTS
Escapism
INFORMATION
Finding out about relevant Seeking advice on practical Satisfying curiosity and Learning; self-education Gaining a sense of security
events and conditions in matters or opinion and general interest through knowledge
immediate surroundings, decision choices
society and the world.
ENTERTAINMENT
01 02 03 04 05
Gaining Insight Into Identifying With Finding A Basis For Helping To Carry Out Enabling One To
Circumstances Of Others And Gaining A Conversation And Social Roles Connect With Family,
Others; Social Sense Of Belonging Social Interaction Friends And Society
Empathy Having A Substitute
For Real-life
Companionship
Katz, Gurevitch and Haas, also in 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
CATAGORIZATION OF
NEEDS
Personal
Cognitive Affective
Integrative
Needs Needs
Needs
Social
Tension
Integrative
Free Needs
Needs
USES AND
GRATIFICATI
ONS MODEL
OF AUDIENCE
EFFECTS
• There is a lack of substantive
research which supports this theory
CRITISIMS OF USES • Marxists argue it exaggerates
AND audiences’ capacity to interpret
media content, ignoring the power of
GRATIFICATIONS agenda setting.
MODEL OF • Postmodernists argue there are an
even wider set of uses individuals
AUDIENCE make of media.
EFFECTS
Uses and gratification is the optimist’s view of the media. The theory takes
out the possibility that the media can have an unconscious influence over
our lives and how we view the world. The idea that we simply use the
media to satisfy a given need does not seem to fully recognize the power of
the media in today’s society.
Individualistic Nature: Critics think that the theory does not meet the
standards to be called a theory and can only be taken as an approach to
analyze as research relies on recollection of memory. Katz, Elihu; Blumler,
Jay G.; Gurevitch, Michael (1973)
It is more audience-oriented study. Audience might not always be active.
Ruggiero, Thomas E. (February 2000)
The theory has been denounced by media hegemony advocates who say it
goes too far in claiming that people are free to choose the media and the
interpretations they desire. Severin, Werner J; Tankard, James W (1997)
Blumler (1979) and other critics have argued that line between gratification
and satisfaction is blurred, and Blumler wrote that "the nature of the theory
underlying uses and gratifications research is not totally clear. Blumler, Jay
G. (January 1979).
"The nature of the theory underlying Uses and Gratifications
research is not totally clear" (Blumler, 1979)
The biggest issue for the Uses and Gratifications Theory is
its being non-theoretical, being vague in key concepts, and
being nothing more than a data-collecting strategy (Severin
and Tankard, 1997)
It seems that using this sociologically-based theory has little
to no link to the benefit of psychology due to its weakness in USES AND
operational definitions and weak analytical mode
GRATIFICATION
It is focused too narrowly on the individual and neglects the
social structure and place of the media in that structure PROBLEMS
(Severin and Tankard, 1997)
It goes too far in claiming that people are free to choose the
media fare and the interpretations they want
Other motives that may drive people to consume media may
involve low level attention, a habit or a mildly pleasant
stimulation
USES AND
GRATIFICATIONS
AND NEW MEDIA
Many researchers (and mass media
consumers) believe we will change the way
we watch television and use media in general
in the future. According to the research, goals
for media use can be grouped into five uses.
The audience wants to
• Be informed or educated
• Identify with characters of the situation in
the media environment
• Simple entertainment
• Enhance social interaction
• Escape from the stresses of daily life
An Example of Modern Applications of Uses and Gratifications
In general, people use mobile phones for the following uses and gratifications;
• Affection/sociability
• Entertainment
• Instrumentality
• Psychological reassurance
• Fashion/status
• Mobility
• Immediate access
Twitter-positive correlation
between active time spent on
Internet usage- The Internet
Twitter and the gratification of a
provides a new and deep field for
need for "an informal sense of
exploring UGT
camaraderie"—connection—with
other users
Friend-networking sites-
socialization might be finding old
friends, making new friends,
learning about events, creating
social functions, and feeling
connected