Thriller Task - Research: Blumler and Katz "Uses and Gratifications" Theory

In 1974, Blumler & Katz created a theory about why and how people actively seek out specific media to satisfy specific needs. It is an audience-centred approach to understanding mass communication diverging from other media effect theories that question "what does media do to people?"

Beginning in the 1940s, researchers began seeing patterns under the perspective of the uses and gratifications theory in radio listeners. Early research was concerned with topics such as children's use of comics and the absence of newspapers during a newspaper strike. An interest in more psychological interpretations emerged during this time period.

The theory suggests there are different reasons why audiences consume media texts:

 

 

Katz, Gurevitch and Haas (1973) saw mass media as a means by which individuals connect or disconnect themselves with others. They developed 35 needs taken from the largely speculative literature on the social and psychological functions of the mass media and put them into five categories:

• Cognitive Needs: Acquiring information, knowledge and understanding
  • Media Examples: Television (news), video (how-to), movies (documentaries or based on history)

• Affective Needs: Emotion, pleasure, feelings
  • Media Examples: Movies, television (soap operas, sitcoms)

• Personal Integrative Needs: Credibility, stability, status
  • Media Examples: Video

• Social Integrative Needs: Family and friends
  • Media Examples: Internet (e-mail, instant messaging, chat rooms, social media)

• Tension Release Needs: Escape and diversion
  • Media Examples: Television, movies, video, radio, internet

(Source: Wikipedia)

The uses and gratifications of media is helpful in the understanding of why audiences view television shows and films. This theory is also helpful in letting us know what kind of person would be incline on viewing the opening of our thriller but also why they are watching and if they would question it making us more aware of what to include or not include into our thriller opening in order to attract and engage and audience.