Swingers, singers and born-again Christians: An investigation of the uses and gratifications of Internet-relay chat
Date
2000
Authors
Tossberg, Amanda Meade
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Smith, Kim
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Abstract
The following study is a test of the applicability of uses and gratifications theory for Internet communication research. The test participants were 113 Internet-relay chat (IRC) users who completed an original survey posted on a website. Individual user motivations and gratifications were reduced using factor analysis. The data reduction indicates that users seek and find instrumental, social and ritualistic gratifications in IRC. Partial and bivariate correlations suggest that users are adept at finding the gratifications they seek in IRC. The data indicate that users most often seek and find ritualistic gratifications, and less frequently seek and find social and instrumental gratifications. Further, the research suggests that users who live alone, are unmarried, or have disability or chronic illness do not use IRC more frequently than users who do not live alone, are married, or without disability or illness. The data also suggest that males and females use IRC with the same frequency. In general, the research is consistent with uses and gratifications theory and supports its appropriateness for Internet communication research.
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