Uses and Gratifications and Internet Profiles: A Factor Analysis
Is Internet Use and Travel to Cyberspace Reinforced by
Unrealized Gratifications?
BY SHARON A. ANGLEMAN
ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY, JONESBORO, DECEMBER 2000
A Project Presented to Dr. Gil Fowler, Professor of Journalism, and the ASU College of Communications in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of Applied Research in Mass Communications, December 2000.
Paper presented at the Western Science Social Association 2001 Conference held in Reno, NV.
ABSTRACT
Uses and Gratifications and Internet Profiles: A Factor Analysis.
Is Internet Use and Travel to Cyberspace Reinforced
by Unrealized Gratifications?
     
     In spite of the rich environment into which the Internet was born, or possibly because of it, there are few working theories to explain the phenomena of the Internet. Effects, experiences, motivations and applications are not easily understood or defined. The vast dimension into which it expands reaches into areas modern sociological sciences have little experience with. A firm understanding of individual motivations related to the Internet could help media researchers to better understand media effects and the Internet. Changes have been measured in everything from personal relationships, socialization, courtships and leisure activities to advertising, journalism, banking, research and education. Consumers, students, business-owners, medical patients, activists, poets and lovers all find something of value on the World Wide Web. This paper attempts to identify user patterns by using factor analysis to group like characteristic. Research begins by analyzing prior research related to the uses and gratification theory and media choice and usage. Existing needs and theories are modified and applied to Internet usage. It was hypothesized that the need for control and the locus of control would have a bearing on the level of usage. An online survey of 100 items generated data, and seven groups of users are identified. Correlations between independent variables are also analyzed in attempt to support group characteristics. Control as a motivator of Internet use accounts for 23% of the variances found within this data. The type of control sought differs between internal and external locus of control users. Control is found to be a factor for ungratified users as well.

Uses and Gratifications and Internet Profile Study Index

PART 1
•Abstract
• Introduction
•Development and Refinement of the U&G Approach

PART 2
•What Motivates the Need for the Internet?

PART 3
•What Inner Needs Might Control or Influence Internet Use?

PART 4
•The Need for Internet User Study
•Research Questions and Hypothesis

PART 5
•Survey Questions and Methods

PART 6
•Analysis and Findings

PART 7
• User Characteristics: Type 1 - Type 7

PART 8
•General Findings Summaries

• Conclusion
•Further Study
•Bibliography
•Appendix A - Survey Instrument
 •Appendix B - Factor Listings

INTRODUCTION | AUTHOR HOME | OTHER RESEARCH by AUTHOR

Feel free to cite material in this study, but please provide this reference:

     Angleman, S. (December, 2000). Uses and Gratifications and Internet Profiles: A Factor Analysis. Is Internet Use and Travel to Cyberspace Reinforced by Unrealized Gratifications? Paper presented at the Western Science Social Association 2001 Conference held in Reno, NV. <http://www.jrily.com/LiteraryIllusions/InternetGratificationStudyIndex.html> (date of access).

An abstract of this paper can also be found at http://wssa.asu.edu/pdf/2001abstracts.pdf. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. Click here to download Acrobat Reader for free.

Complete factor analysis and other detailed data is available upon request (SPSS format, IBM)). For information or comments concerning this study, please contact, Sharon Angleman at sharon@jrily.com Visit my home site at http://www.jrily.com/LiteraryIllusions for other journalistic materials.