Media Uses and effects

A Uses-and-Gratification
Perspective

Presenter : Adil Nawaz

Presented to : Dr. Asad Munir
Department of Mass Communication AIOU
 Media Uses and
Effects Overview

• The concept of Media Uses and Effects

revolves around understanding how
mass media influences people and
how people use media for their own
needs.
• It explores both the immediate effects
of media on audiences and the various
ways audiences interact with and
respond to media content.
 Mechanistic Perspective of Media Effects

Assumes direct influence on Focuses on measurable Example: Advertising

audience. changes in thoughts, campaigns directly shaping
attitudes, and behaviors. consumer preferences.
 Mass-Media Effects Investigators: The
Mechanistic Approach

• Researchers who study media effects often try to figure out how specific
media messages impact people.
• A mechanistic approach assumes that media messages directly and
immediately influence the audience.
 Mass-Media Effects Investigators: The Mechanistic
Approach

1. Passive Audience: The audience is seen as Example: Imagine someone watching a

inactive, simply receiving and reacting to the commercial about a new soft drink and
messages without much thought. immediately deciding to buy it because they saw it
on TV.
 Mass-Media Effects Investigators: The Mechanistic
Approach

2. Short-Term Focus: Researchers Example: A news report on a natural

focus on immediate changes in disaster might prompt viewers to
thoughts or actions caused by media. donate to relief efforts right away.
 Mass-Media Effects Investigators: The Mechanistic
Approach

3. Direct Influence: The media is believed Example: A horror movie might make
to have a straightforward impact on viewers feel scared during and immediately
people's attitudes or behaviors. after watching it.
 Alternative Perspectives: Beyond Mechanistic Effects
Klapper's Phenomenistic Approach (1960):

Over time, researchers realized that media effects Factors: individual predispositions, group norms,
aren’t always straightforward. Many other factors selective perception, etc.
can influence how a message affects someone.
 Alternative
Perspectives:
Klapper's
Phenomenistic • Klapper suggested that media often reinforces
Approach existing beliefs rather than changing them
directly. Some factors that mediate media effects
(1960): include:
 Alternative
• 1. Individual Predispositions: People’s existing
Perspectives: beliefs shape how they interpret media.
• Example: A sports fan is more likely to enjoy and
Beyond agree with content favoring their favorite team.
Mechanistic
• 2. Group Norms: The attitudes of a person’s social
Effects group influence their reactions.
• Example: If a group of friends dislikes a particular
political leader, individuals in that group are more
likely to adopt the same view, even after
watching a neutral debate.
 Alternative
Perspectives: • 3. Interpersonal Communication: Messages are
often spread through personal discussions, which
Beyond can alter their impact.

Mechanistic • Example: A person might change their opinion on

a movie after hearing a friend’s critique.
Effects
• 4. Opinion Leaders: Influential people in a
community can shape others' perceptions.
• Example: A celebrity endorsing a product might
make fans more likely to try it.
 Psychological Perspective

Core Idea: People choose media Media as Active Choice: Unlike Example: Someone might watch a
content to meet their specific needs passive consumption, people comedy show after a stressful day
based on their psychological state intentionally select media content. to relax and feel better.
and social context.
 Psychological Perspective: Uses and Gratifications

Instead of focusing on how media influences It emphasizes that audiences are active
people, the Uses and Gratifications approach participants, choosing media content based on
looks at why people use media and what they get their needs.
from it.
 Psychological Perspective: Uses and
Gratifications

• How People Use Media:

• 1. Information: People use media to learn about the world.
• Example: Watching the news to stay updated on current events.

• 2. Entertainment: Media provides relaxation and enjoyment.

• Example: Watching a comedy show to unwind after a long day.
 Psychological Perspective: Uses and
Gratifications

• How People Use Media:

• 3. Social Interaction: Media helps people connect with others.

• Example: Sharing memes on social media to bond with friends.

• 4. Personal Identity: Media helps individuals explore or reinforce their

identity.
• Example: Watching a motivational speaker to feel more confident.
Functional Analysis of Media
Early researchers, like
Media serve various
Lazarsfeld and Merton
purposes, which
(1948) and Lasswell
researchers have Functions of Media:
(1948), studied the
categorized over the
roles media plays in
years:
society.

1. Status Conferral: Example: A viral news 2. Surveillance: Media

Media can give story can make an helps people stay
importance to certain unknown individual aware of their
topics or people. famous overnight. environment.

Example: Weather
forecasts keep us
informed about
upcoming storms.
 • 3. Correlation: Media helps explain how
different events are related.
• Example: News analysis linking economic
policies to inflation.

• 4. Transmission of Social Heritage: Media

Functional passes cultural values from one generation
to another.
•
Analysis of Example: TV shows or movies portraying
traditional family values.

Media • 5. Parasocial Interaction: Developing an

emotional bond with media personalities.
• Example: Feeling a connection with a
YouTuber you watch regularly.

• 6. Narcotizing Dysfunction: Too much

media can make people passive instead of
active participants in society.
• Example: Watching endless news about
social issues but never taking action to
address them.
 Media-Use Typologies

Researchers have developed categories for why people use media:

Audience Motivations:
1. Diversion: Escaping from routine or problems.
○ Example: Watching a sitcom to de-stress.
2. Surveillance: Staying updated on current events.
○ Example: Checking the weather forecast to plan your day.
3. Personal Relationships: Using media as a way to bond.
○ Example: Discussing a TV show with friends.
4. Personal Identity: Exploring one's own values or beliefs.
○ Example: Watching documentaries that align with environmental
concerns.
 The Uses-and-Gratifications Paradigm

This paradigm was formalized by Katz, Blumler, and Gurevitch in 1974. It

explores how people actively use media to fulfill their needs.
Key Elements:
1. Needs and Motives: Why someone turns to media.
○ Example: Seeking entertainment or learning.
2. Behavioral Consequences: The outcomes of consuming media.
○ Example: Feeling informed after reading the news or relaxed
after a movie.
Evolution of Uses-and-Gratifications Research

● Early research focused on understanding what media do to people.

● Shifted to what people do with media, emphasizing audience
motivations.
● Example Studies:
○ Herzog (1940): Explored why women listened to radio soap
operas (e.g., for emotional support).
 Uses-and-Gratifications

● 1.Cognitive Needs (Seeking Information or Knowledge)

● 2. Affective Needs (Emotional or Aesthetic Experiences)
● 3.Personal Integrative Needs (Reinforcing Personal Identity)
● 4. Social Integrative Needs (Connecting with Others)
● 5. Tension Release (Escaping Daily Stress and Seeking Entertainment)
 • While this approach is insightful, it
has faced criticism:

• 1. Individualistic Focus: Critics

argue it focuses too much on
Criticisms of individuals and ignores broader
societal impacts.
Uses and
Gratifications • 2. Compartmentalization: Studies
often focus on specific motives or
media types, missing the bigger
picture.

• 3. Lack of Concept Clarity: Terms

like “needs” and “gratifications”
can sometimes be vague.
 Contemporary Studies ()‫جدید مطالعہ‬

● Purpose: Shows how the theory has evolved to address criticisms and integrate with
media-effects research.
● Relationship to Other Topics: Modern studies connect motivations with
psychological and societal factors, reinforcing the idea of an active audience.
Examples:
1. Greenberg (1974):
Analyzed why children watch TV, identifying motives like learning and relaxation.
○ Purpose: Demonstrates consistent patterns across demographics and
cultures.
2. Perse (1986):
Explored how loneliness and social context influence media use.
○ Purpose: Highlights how external factors shape individual media behavior.
 Modern Developments in Media Studies

• Recent research has addressed these criticisms and expanded our

understanding:

• 1. Media-Use Motives: Studying why people use specific media.

• Example: Teens might use social media to socialize, while adults may use it
for news.

• 2. Social Contexts: Exploring how people’s backgrounds affect their media

usage.
• Example: People in rural areas might use radio more than urban dwellers.
 Modern Developments in Media Studies

• 3. Gratifications Sought vs. Obtained: Comparing what people expect from

media and what they actually gain.
• Example: Watching a thriller expecting excitement but feeling disappointed
due to poor storytelling.

• 4. Better Measurement Methods: Developing tools to study media

motivation and effects more accurately.
 ● Core Idea: Audiences vary in
how actively they engage with
media.
○ Purpose: Explains that
not all media consumption
Audience is goal-driven; some is
habitual.
Activity ○ Relationship to Other
Topics: Connects with
audience motivations and
media effects, showing
that activity levels
influence outcomes.
 Types of Media Use:

1. Ritualized Use (:)‫رسوماتی استعمال‬

Consuming media out of habit or for relaxation.
○ Example: Watching TV during meals without paying full
attention.
2. Instrumental Use (:)‫مقصدی استعمال‬
Consuming media with a specific goal in mind, such as gaining
knowledge.
○ Example: Reading a news article to prepare for a debate.
 ● Media Dependency: When
media are the primary or only
source of information or
entertainment.
○ Example: Rural
Dependency communities relying on
radio due to limited
and internet access.
○ Purpose: Shows how
limited functional
Alternatives alternatives increase
reliance on media.
● Functional Alternatives:
Other activities or sources that
fulfill similar needs.
○ Example: Engaging in a
community event instead
of watching a sports
game.
 Uses-and-Effects Models

● Purpose: Integrates audience activity with media effects, bridging the gap between the
two perspectives.
● Relationship to Other Topics: Links motivations, media content, and individual
outcomes.

Transactional Model:

● Media effects result from the interaction between the content and audience intention.
○ Example: A documentary about climate change leads to action only if the viewer is
motivated to learn.

Expectancy-Value Model :

● People choose media based on expected outcomes and the value they place on those
outcomes.
○ Example: A student watches an educational video because they believe it will help
them succeed.
 Uses-and-Effects Models

• Models:Transactional Model:
Explains media effects as interactions between content and audience
expectations.
Example: Wenner (1982) found that motivations for watching news enhanced
the effects of the content.
• Outcome: Higher motivation led to greater dependency on news.
• Expectancy-Value Model:
Predicts behavior based on expected outcomes.
Example: Palmgreen & Rayburn (1982) explored motivations for news
consumption.
• Outcome: Gratifications sought aligned with the perceived utility of the
news.
 • Media’s impact is complex and
influenced by many factors.
Modern research connects
psychological, social, and
contextual elements to understand
how and why people use media.
Conclusion • This approach helps uncover the
intricate relationship between
media content, audience needs,
and the effects on thoughts,
behaviors, and attitudes.
Thankyou

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A Uses and Gratification Perspective