Barbara K. Kaye
School of Journalism & Electronic Media
University of Tennessee
This article investigates the uses and motivations for connecting to blogs. Rather than relying on motivations from preexisting scales measuring traditional media or Internet use that must be adapted for blogs, motivations are derived from open-ended questions about blog use from a preliminary survey. The current study is based on a follow-up survey conducted in 2007 to quantitatively investigate blog use. Factor analysis of 56 motivational items resulted in nine motivational factors: Convenient Information Seeking, Anti-Traditional Media Sentiment, Expression/Affiliation, Guidance/Opinion Seeking, Blog Ambiance, Personal Fulfillment, Political Debate, Variety of Opinion, and Specific Inquiry. This article also offers suggestions for reducing the number of motivational variables.
Barbara K. Kaye (2010): Going to the Blogs: Toward the Development of a Uses and Gratifications Measurement Scale for Blogs, Atlantic Journal of Communication, 18:4, 194-210
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2010.505904
Posts
Unlike standard Web sites, blogs are hosted by a “blogger” who posts commentary, news, and other information. Blog users may reply to the blogger or other users with their own opinions or links to information.
ReplyDeleteThe interactive nature, varying delivery formats, and individualized content distinguish blogs from other online sources and certainly from traditional media.
ReplyDeleteSupporters rely on bloggers’ clout to bring about political and social reform by drawing media and public attention to controversial issues and perceived wrongdoings (Kaye & Johnson, 2007).
ReplyDeleteBlogs have become a distinct institution, spreading the latest buzz on both sides of an ideological divide (Bai, 2007; Nagourney, 2006).
Because of their unique characteristics and because they embrace users as contributors,
ReplyDeleteblogs may serve different purposes and needs than other online or offline sources.
But what are these purposes and needs?
The underlying question is what motivates Internet users to turn to blogs.
... reasons for accessing the Internet.
ReplyDeleteSome studies have delved into the motivations for using the Internet as a whole (Charney & Greenberg, 2001; Ferguson & Perse, 2000; Kang & Atkin, 1999; Kaye, 1998; Lin, 2002)
... and for using its components, such as such as the Web, e-mail, bulletin boards, and chat rooms (Fuentes, 2000; James, Wotring, & Forrest, 1995; Kaye & Johnson, 2004; Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000),
... social networking sites (Kaye, 2009; Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008)
... and blogs (Johnson & Kaye, 2007a, 2007c; Johnson et al., 2007; Kaye, 2005, 2007; Kaye & Johnson, 2006, 2009; Trammell, Tarkowski, Hofmoki, & Sapp, 2006).
Uses and gratifications sets forth several assumptions:
ReplyDelete(a) individuals seek out media,
(b) media use is goal directed,
(c) media exposure fulfills a variety of human needs, and
(d) individuals seek out media that will gratify those needs (McLeod & Becker, 1981; Palmgreen, Wenner, & Rosengren, 1985).
Web sites are largely one-way sources of information that do not require any particular level of activity to serve their purpose.
ReplyDeleteUsers tend to access Web sites to satisfy entertainment, escape, and social interaction needs and to pass the time (Charney & Greenberg, 2001; Eighmey, 1997; Ferguson & Perse, 2000; Kang & Atkin, 1999; Kaye, 1998; Korgaonkar & Wolin, 1999; Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000)
Other Internet components such as bulletin boards, chat rooms, and e-mail are generally considered two-way communication because they require user interaction to function as intended (Kaye & Johnson, 2004; Medoff & Kaye, 2005)
ReplyDeleteBulletin boards/electronic mailing lists tend to gratify information/education and social needs (James et al., 1995; Kaye & Johnson, 2004, 2006).
ReplyDeleteChat rooms satisfy social contact, personal identity, and expression needs (Fuentes,
2000; Kaye & Johnson, 2006; Turkle, 1999)
e-mail satisfies interpersonal needs (Dimmick, Kline, & Stafford, 2000; Stafford, Kline, & Dimmick, 1999) and convenience (Papacharissi & Rubin, 2000)
social networking sites are used primarily to keep in touch with friends and to make new friends (Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008)
Kaye (2005) factor analyzed 28 blog use motivations yielding six factors:
ReplyDelete1. Information Seeking/Media Check,
2. Convenience,
3. Personal Fulfillment,
4. Political Surveillance,
5. Social Surveillance, and
6. Expression/Affiliation
Politically interested Internet users are motivated to use blogs for the same reasons except
ReplyDeletefor Expression/Affiliation (Kaye & Johnson, 2006).
The importance of open-ended questions in developing motivational items for a new medium or technology has been well documented.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Palmgreen, Cook, Harvill, and Helm (1988) used open-ended interviews to counter what they perceived as weaknesses in closed-ended uses and gratifications items not developed from qualitative investigation.
Charney and Greenberg (2001) opted for open-ended questions “so not to : : : influence the manner in which respondents thought about the subject of study” (p. 384).