Alan M. Rubin

Kent State University | KSU · School of Communication Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand television shopping through examining media use motives. Based on the uses-and-gratifications (U&G) perspective, we examined how social/psychological antecedents (i.e., parasocial interaction and compulsive buying) and buying outcomes (i.e., buying frequency and impulse buying) relate to television-shoppi...

We examined whether motivation for watching television violence explains viewer aggression and considered the contribution of individual viewer differences, including locus of control, experience with crime, exposure to television violence, perceived realism, and viewer involvement. Several viewing motives and individual differences predicted aggre...

Following from a summary review of television and aging research studies, methodological difficulties of past investigations and needed directions for future mass communication and aging research are discussed.

This secondary analysis of television viewing motivations and patterns located two television user types: (1) users of the television medium for time consumption and entertainment; and (2) users of television content for nonescapist, information seeking.

This investigation compares television use in contexts of communication, social, and psychological confinement and non‐confinement. Findings indicate that environmental context is more influential than chronological age in determining viewing motivations, program preferences, and viewing behaviors.

In contrast to mechanistic views, writers have suggested functional and psychological views of media influence. This chapter will consider the psychological and functional roots of uses and gratifications, the objectives and functions of the paradigm, and the evolution of uses-and-gratifications research. Then, it addresses the links between media...

Links among demographics, motivation for using the Internet, cognitive and affective involvement, and Internet dependency were investigated. By integrating uses and gratifications theory and media dependency research, motivation was found to play a more important antecedent role in explaining Internet dependency than demographics, and cognitive and...

Surveillance, correlation, and transmission functions are basic to the role of mass media in society. Surveillance means locating and disseminating → news and → Information. Correlation deals with interpreting and editorializing about this information (→ Commentary). Transmission is the socialization of norms, → attitudes, and values between groups...

The aims of the investigation were to initiate the development of “contextual age” as an alternative life-position concept to chronological age in communication and aging research, and to examine the relationships between contextual age and socio-demographic characteristics, television viewing patterns, and viewing motivations. The sample consisted...

Those who called in to talk radio programs tended to find face-to-face communication less rewarding, were less mobile, felt talk radio was more important to them, and listened for more hours a day than those who did not call but who did listen.

We examined third-person effects in the context of television coverage of terrorist-related stories in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Whereas third-person effects research suggests the magnitude of perceptual bias is the important predictor of behavioral intention, such as restrictions o...

Guided by the uses and gratifications perspective, we examined how dispositional factors--aggression, anger, attitudes toward women, and communication anxiety and reward--and television-viewing factors--motivation, attitudes, topics, emotions, and parasocial interaction--explained attraction to different TV talk shows. We considered how these dispo...

This study examined the antecedents of viewer relationships experienced with television characters. Based on social cognitive theory, we considered how trait aggression helped explain identification, homophily, and parasocial interaction with aggressive characters. Two hundred nineteen participants completed questionnaires measuring trait aggressio...

This study of university undergraduates examined the role of television coverage of terrorism in perpetuating fright and fear following the Sept. 11 attacks. Viewer characteristics, rather than television exposure, were the most consistent predictors of fear, safety and faith in others.

This article examines the complex relationship between dispositions, popular music preferences, and attitudes. In accordance with selective-exposure and excitation-transfer theories, it was expected that anger and self-esteem dispositions would influence popular-music preferences and attitudinal differences. Using a sample of 243 persons, we examin...

This chapter reviews the current state of research according to dominant mass communication theories and lines of research. Theoretical perspectives addressed include agenda setting, framing, diffusion of innovations, gap hypotheses, third-person effects, cultivation, priming, social cognition, uses and gratifications, and critical/cultural studies...

We examined the impact of motivation, interpersonal attraction, and parasocial interaction (PSI) on listening to public affairs talk radio. Hierarchical regression identified several results. PSI and exciting entertainment motivation predicted intentional and frequent listening to a favorite host. PSI, task attraction, and information motivation pr...

We examined audience uses of the Internet from a uses-and-gratifications perspective. We expected contextual age, unwillingness to communicate, social presence, and Internet motives to predict outcomes of Internet exposure, affinity, and satisfaction. The analyses identified five motives for using the Internet and multivariate links among the antec...

Contributes to a special issue on how the reconsideration of what scholarship is affects the way in which scholarship is assessed. Discusses concerns with Ernest Boyer's redefinitions of what scholarship is. Argues the need for fair and consistent application of assessment standards for scholarship but notes problems of consistency and quality of e...

Thema dieses Kapitels ist der Nutzen- und Belohnungsansatz (Uses-and-Gratiftcations-Approach) der Medienwirkungen. Der Ansatz wird hier als voluntaristische, publikumszentrierte Perspektive verstanden und in seinen Grundzügen und zentralen Annahmen dargestellt. Einer kurzen Historie zur Forschung im Rahmen des Usesand-Gratifications-Ansatzes schlie...

In this study, we assessed how classroom instruction might result in changes in students' communication competence (CC) and communication apprehension (CA). Students enrolled in a basic communication class completed the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA) and the Self‐Perception of Communication Competence (SPCC) Scale at the begin...

Audience activity in the media transaction may function to promote or to deter media effects. Facilitative activity includes selectivity, attention, and involvement. Inhibitory activity includes avoidance, distraction, and skepticism. The authors expected instrumental media motivation, selectivity, attention, and involvement to be positive predicto...

We examined how motivation, audience activity, and attitudes influenced the likelihood of watching societal‐issue and relational topics on television talk programs. Path analysis supported differences in ritualized and instrumental motives for watching talk shows. Information and exciting‐entertainment motivation predicted greater’ realism of, affi...

In this study we examined (a) the relationship between affinity‐seeking competence and self‐disclosure and (b) the role of self‐awareness in mediating this relationship. According to Social Penetration Theory, people who are able to develop affinity in relationships tend to self‐disclose to increase the intimacy of a relationship; a person who self...

Uses and gratifications is a psychological communication perspective focusing on how individual differences mediate attitudes and behavior. Incorporated in the perspective is an implicit emphasis of the interface of personal and mediated communication. As a salient psychological trait, locus of control should affect communication motivation and ten...

As a social-psychological attribute affecting attitudes and behavior, religiosity should influence television use. We expected religious conservatives and non-conservatives to differ in viewing motives, watching programs containing sex and violence, and TV attitudes. We administered questionnaires to 346 religious conservatives, moderates and liber...

According to Schutz's theory of interpersonal motives and the uses and gratifications perspective, people communicate to gratify felt needs or wants. In this study we examined two main antecedents affecting motives for communicating interpersonally: life‐position and locus‐of‐control. Canonical correlation analysis supported our expectations for a...

Our objective was to explore the psychological origins of media gratifications by examining how pertinent psychological variables, based on McGuire's paradigm, help explain television viewing motivation. Hierarchical multiple regression of responses from a quota sample of 331 persons showed that psychological antecedents and control variables helpe...

The study examined how chronic loneliness influenced local news and soap opera viewing. We hypothesized that chronic loneliness relates to reduced interpersonal interaction, increased electronic media use, and passive television use. The discriminant analysis distinguished chronic loneliness from nonloneli‐ness by: (a) lesser use of interpersonal c...

We investigated the relationship between communication apprehension and satisfaction for a sample of 504 persons. The analyses supported the expectation that apprehension and satisfaction would be related negatively. Apprehension in dyadic contexts and with friends related most strongly to dissatisfaction. We discussed the implications of these res...

Religiosity is a personality attribute that affects social attitudes and behavior. To examine whether religiosity also affects television use, a study administered questionnaires to 346 Christian conservatives, moderates, and liberals in six different churches in northeast Ohio during November and December 1987. The questionnaire measured religiosi...

Two issues in clutivation research were considered. First, because cultivation methodology contains an apparent response bias, relationships were examined between television exposure and positive statements of social perceptions: faith in others, life control, interpersonal connection, political efficacy, and safety. Second, an instrumental media u...

This investigation examined the role of motives, attitudes, and audience activity in explaining the affective, cognitive, and behavioral involvement of 328 daytime soap opera viewers. Because inter correlations were found among motives, attitudes, activities, and involvement variables, canonical correlation analysis was used. There were two multiva...

Our readers, contributors, and reviewers sometimes express their curiosity about the work of the Journal. After spending nearly a year editing the JOBEM, I thought it would be valuable to share briefly some information about manuscript submissions, decisions, reviewer agreement, and turnaround time. I promise to spare the prose and to provide the b...

The variable nature of audience activity was examined with a sample of 329 local television news viewers. Instrumental news viewing was expected to be related to audience intentionality, selectivity, and involvement with local news. Hierarchical regression found that affinity, selectivity, and involvement predicted intentionality; pass time motives...

Television and aging is one realm of social gerontology inquiry with descriptive consistency in research findings. Although we have an adequate profile of older persons' television use, we are lacking more heuristic explanations of television's role in the lives of the elderly. Such explanations need to emphasize the communication, social and psych...

Age and family control influences on television viewing were examined for a sample of 162 individually interviewed children, ages five to twelve. Two‐way ANOVA and MCA found: (1) no differences for viewing levels; (2) cartoon and children's program preferences, television affinity, and realism related negatively to age; (3) adventure! drama and com...

This essay responds to the individualistic criticism of the uses and gratifications perspective by considering social‐structural conditions that affect media uses and effects, and by proposing an audience‐centered and society‐based framework for examining mass communication processes. The nature of media dependency, the origins of dependency, audie...

This report has several purposes. The first objective is to share information about the review process during the past year, April 1,1985 to March 31,1986, corresponding to the time frame between annual Broadcast Education Association conventions. The second objective is to sketch some descriptive information about the composition of submissions to...

A contextual age construct was developed and examined as a transactional, life-position index of aging. The eighteen-item contextual age index included six interrelated dimensions: physical health, interpersonal interaction, mobility, life satisfaction, social activity, and economic security. In addition to the development of the index, association...

Interviews were conducted with a random sample of 1023 students at 11 U.S. universities. Four primary motives for watching daytime television soap operas were ascertained via factor analysis. These were: Orientation, Avoidance, Diversion, and Social Utility. Correlation and regression were used to consider the links among these motives and several...

A conceptual model was developed predicting parasocial interaction from both a social interaction need due to loneliness and instrumental television news use. Questionnaires were completed by 329 persons. Pearson and partial correlations supported hypotheses linking loneliness with less interpersonal communication and both loneliness and parasocial...

Uses and gratifications is seen as a viable communication perspective for examining the interface of interpersonal and mass communication. This essay explicates the interpersonal dimension of uses and gratifications models, including individual needs and functional alternatives. The uses of interpersonal channels are considered as coequal alternati...

Television viewing motivations and viewing patterns were examined for a sample of 340 aging and aged persons. Correlational relations between viewing motivations and viewing patterns were evident. Viewing motivations were found to be intercorrelated and canonical analysis located associations among viewing motivations and patterns. Companionship, h...

Data from 464 adults were analyzed to provide a more heuristic paradigm for mass communication uses and gratifications research in a study of the interactive nature of television viewing motivations, viewing behavior, and attitude gratifications. Factor analysis located five principal television viewing motivations: passing time, information, enter...

The investigation explored the relationships between child and adolescent television use motivations and various sociodemographic characteristics, television viewing levels, program preference, and television attitudes. Six viewing motivations were identified: learning, passing time or habit, companionship, escape or forget, arousal, and relaxation...

DOCUMENTS OF AMERICAN BROADCASTING, THIRD EDITION. By Frank J. Kahn (editor). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice‐Hall, 1978. 638 pages. BROADCAST COPYWRITING. By Peter B. Orlik. Boston, Mass.: Holbrook Press, 1978, 439 pp. MODERN RADIO STATION PRACTICES. By Joseph J. Johnson and Kenneth K. Jones. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 197...

TELEVISION AND RADIO. By Giraud Chester, Garnet R. Garrison, and Edgar E. Willis. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice‐Hall, Inc., 1978. 543pp. $12.95. FOUR ARGUMENTS FOR THE ELIMINATION OF TELEVISION. By Jerry Mander. New York: William Morrow and Co. 1978. 371pp. $4.95 (paper). TELEVISION/RADIO AGE COMMUNICATIONS COURSEBOOK 1977‐78 EDITION By Sc...

A study of the relationships between television use and political socialization indicated that lower levels of political information and understandings of the workings of government are associated with increased quantities of television viewing, but that positive political attitudes and higher levels of political knowledge are associated with publi...

Lloyd Bitzer's concept of the rhetorical situation is used to explore the operation of discourse in Weight Watchers International. The essay considers the three constituents and the six basic features of the rhetorical situation.

[suggests] both functional and psychological views of media influence / [mentions] functional orientations [and] explains uses and gratifications / [considers] criticisms, research investigations, and media uses and effects links uses and gratifications is a psychological communication perspective that shifts the focus of inquiry from the mechani...

Typewritten manuscript. Thesis (M.A.) Queens College. Department of Communication Arts and Sciences.