A Review of Theory and Research Based on Uses

and Gratifications in HCI

XinXin Qiao1,* and YiHao Zhu 2

1
Department of Industrial Design, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
2
Department of Industrial Design,
Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
Jordon1998@gmail.com, Zhuyihao40@126.com

Abstract. As a media uses approach in the media communication research area,

Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G) argued that audience’s actively selecting
media is mainly based on their requirements. The current study summarized
firstly the development of U&G theory, major hypothesis and traditional
models that motivation factors have a critical impact on the usage behavior
and satisfaction through driving attitude which is an intermediate factor. Then
the paper focused on U&G research on the internet sysmatically and summa-
rized the limitations in explaining personalized requirements of new media use.
Finally it was proposed that in the future, U&G research on internet new media
use should adopt personality research methodology in psychology, and combine
users’ behavioral patterns and various use experiences to construct personalized
U&G model.

Keywords: Uses and gratifications theory, personalized requirements, uses and

gratifications model, media use.

1 Introduction
In Human-computer interaction area, computer-mediated communication (CMC)
is hot. In fact, computer-mediated communication stemmed from mass media com-
munication.
One approach focuses on media’s influence on audience which considers that audi-
ences are passive, and therefore focuses on the impact of media on the audience. A
theory based on this point emphasizes the objective characteristics of media
technologies, as well as their impact on user experience and media selection. Overall,
the theory holds that users accept and adapt to media passively, while neglects
users themselves (such as their personality, purpose, attitude, preferences and experi-
ences, etc.).
The other approach focuses users’ media use, considering that audience select me-
dia to fulfill their needs. Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G) is the very example.
Researchers have found out that audiences tend to select media content according to
*
Corresponding author is XinXin Qiao whose research interest is focused on social interaction
of SNS users.

S. Lin and X. Huang (Eds.): CSEE 2011, Part III, CCIS 216, pp. 232–236, 2011.
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011
 A Review of Theory and Research Based on Uses and Gratifications in HCI 233

personal needs, tastes and ideas; thereby media’s actual influence on audience is
weakened. Katz [1] believed that the communication activities, like sales of merchan-
dise, are an interactive process. If audience’s needs are met, they tend to continue to
use the media, otherwise they abandon it. Katz therefore suggested that the focus of
communication research should be switched from “media’s influence on audience” to
“audience’s use of media”.

2 Backgrounds
Development Stages of U&G Theory. The first stage was the period of “description of
the phenomenon” (1940-1950), characterized by the use of qualitative methods to
describe audience’s choice and evaluation of media contents. The second stage was
the period of manipulating variables (1950-1970), the beginning of quantitative meth-
odology on the influence of variables such as social factors and psychological factors
upon use of media. The third stage was the explanation period (1970-1980), attempt-
ing to explain the relevance between the audience’s social background, choice of
media and their motives and expectations. Blumler and Katz [1] proposed the basic
assumptions that audiences choose proactively and positively the content of media in
accordance with their own experiences and motivations. The fourth stage was the the-
ory-construction period (1980 to present). After the 1980's, researches based on the
use and gratification orientation were widely criticized, holding those lack of theoreti-
cal foundation, over-rely on audience's own reports, and fail to define conceptions
such as motivation and demands.
Basic Assumptions of U&G Theory. In 1974, Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch[1] et al
first proposed the five basic assumptions of U &G Theory: (1) audience use media
with a purpose and actively, knowing his own needs, so media should be designed to
audience’s demands; (2) the use of media audiences are to meet audience’s social or
psychological needs, so it is goal-oriented; (3) the process of dissemination enables
the audience to combine media use with demands fulfillment; (4) specific media can
only satisfy part of the audience’s demands, so there is competition between media;
(5) audience are rational, in possession of their own needs and motives,, and their
needs and motivations are to express through choice of media.
Later, Rosengren et al supplemented the above assumptions. They considered that
audiences are active, so the media usage behavior is goal-oriented, and audiences
usually strive to meet the demand, so there is competition between the media, because
audiences need and select media and the media may also meet the diverse needs of
audiences. However, because media properties at different times can generate differ-
ent satisfaction level, and meeting with satisfaction is not only related to the content
of media, but also may be associated with related media usage behavior. Then re-
searchers can not accurately predict types of audiences’ satisfaction only based on
media content.
On the basis of theoretical assumptions, some researchers suggested the generic
U&G model (Fig. 1). In this model, motivation factors have an impact on the usage
behavior and satisfaction through driving attitude which is an intermediate factor, that
is to say users take the initiative to use media based on the motivation to seek and
obtain satisfaction [2].