Uses and Gratifications Theory in Media Psychology

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHistoryAssumptions of UGTExplaining Media Use With UGTCriticisms of the Theory

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

History

Assumptions of UGT

Explaining Media Use With UGT

Criticisms of the Theory

Uses and gratifications theory (UGT) proposes that people choose to consume certain kinds of media because they expect to obtain specific gratifications as a result of those selections.

In contrast to other theories about media, UGT focuses on the media consumer rather than the media itself or the messages the media conveys.

While other theories see people as passive recipients of media messages, UGT sees people as active consumers of media who are aware of the reasons they choose to consume media.

History of Uses and Gratifications Theory

The origins of UGT can be traced back to the 1940s when communication scholars initially sought to study why specific media and content appealed to different people. The theory was further expanded in the 1970s when researchers started examining not just the gratifications that consumers sought but the gratifications they actually obtained.

Today UGT remains one of the most prevalent theories used inmedia effectsresearch.In fact, communication scholar Ruggiero argued that the rise of new media makes uses and gratifications theory more important than ever as this perspective is especially useful for explaining why people adopt new mediums.

Assumptions of Uses and Gratifications Theory

A cornerstone of UGT is that audiences are active in choosing the media they consume. Moreover, audiences are aware of the reasons they want to consume media and consciously use those reasons to make media selections that will fulfill their needs and desires.

Five Assumptions

Based on these notions, uses and gratifications theory specifies a set of five assumptions about media consumption.

The assumptions are:

People are in Control of Their Media ConsumptionThese assumptions make it clear that UGT places the media consumer at the center of media use. That means that not only do consumers have the power to actively choose and take in specific media, they are also capable of interpreting media messages and utilizing those messages in their lives as they choose. As a result, people control how much and in what ways media impacts them.

People are in Control of Their Media Consumption

These assumptions make it clear that UGT places the media consumer at the center of media use. That means that not only do consumers have the power to actively choose and take in specific media, they are also capable of interpreting media messages and utilizing those messages in their lives as they choose. As a result, people control how much and in what ways media impacts them.

Explaining Media Use With Uses and Gratification Theory

These needs, as well as those specified in many other uses and gratifications typologies, are based on the gratifications consumers obtained from old media, such as books, newspapers, radio,television, and movies.

The scholars suggest several new gratifications that fall into four categories specific to features of new media.

These four categories include:

Criticisms of Uses and Gratifications Theory

While UGT continues to be widely used in media research, it has been criticized for several reasons.

First, UGT’s' belief that audiences are active and can articulate their reasons for consuming specific media has led to studies that rely onself-reportdata. However, self-report data isn’t always reliable and may not always be accurate or insightful.

That lack of access may mean certain people are unable to choose the media that would best satisfy their needs.

Some scholars feel because of its lack of distinction between needs and motivations and the poor definitions provided for these and other concepts, the theory is better regarded as an approach than a full-fledged theory.

Media Literacy in the Modern Age

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ruggiero TE.Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century.Mass Communication and Society. 2000;3(1):3-37. doi:10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02Potter WJ.Media Effects. SAGE Publications; 2012.Rubin AM.Audience activity and media use.Commun Monogr. 1993;60(1):98-105. doi:10.1080/03637759309376300Katz E, Gurevitch M, Haas H.On the Use of the Mass Media for Important Things.Am Sociol Rev. 1973;38(2):164-181. doi:10.2307/2094393Sundar SS, Limperos AM.Uses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media.J Broadcast Electron Media. 2013;57(4):504-525. doi:10.1080/08838151.2013.845827

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ruggiero TE.Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century.Mass Communication and Society. 2000;3(1):3-37. doi:10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02Potter WJ.Media Effects. SAGE Publications; 2012.Rubin AM.Audience activity and media use.Commun Monogr. 1993;60(1):98-105. doi:10.1080/03637759309376300Katz E, Gurevitch M, Haas H.On the Use of the Mass Media for Important Things.Am Sociol Rev. 1973;38(2):164-181. doi:10.2307/2094393Sundar SS, Limperos AM.Uses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media.J Broadcast Electron Media. 2013;57(4):504-525. doi:10.1080/08838151.2013.845827

Ruggiero TE.Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century.Mass Communication and Society. 2000;3(1):3-37. doi:10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02Potter WJ.Media Effects. SAGE Publications; 2012.Rubin AM.Audience activity and media use.Commun Monogr. 1993;60(1):98-105. doi:10.1080/03637759309376300Katz E, Gurevitch M, Haas H.On the Use of the Mass Media for Important Things.Am Sociol Rev. 1973;38(2):164-181. doi:10.2307/2094393Sundar SS, Limperos AM.Uses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media.J Broadcast Electron Media. 2013;57(4):504-525. doi:10.1080/08838151.2013.845827

Ruggiero TE.Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century.Mass Communication and Society. 2000;3(1):3-37. doi:10.1207/s15327825mcs0301_02

Potter WJ.Media Effects. SAGE Publications; 2012.

Rubin AM.Audience activity and media use.Commun Monogr. 1993;60(1):98-105. doi:10.1080/03637759309376300

Katz E, Gurevitch M, Haas H.On the Use of the Mass Media for Important Things.Am Sociol Rev. 1973;38(2):164-181. doi:10.2307/2094393

Sundar SS, Limperos AM.Uses and Grats 2.0: New Gratifications for New Media.J Broadcast Electron Media. 2013;57(4):504-525. doi:10.1080/08838151.2013.845827

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History of Uses and Gratifications Theory#

Assumptions of Uses and Gratifications Theory#

Five Assumptions#

People are in Control of Their Media Consumption#

Explaining Media Use With Uses and Gratification Theory#

Criticisms of Uses and Gratifications Theory#