Theory: Uses and Gratifications

'A voluntaristic and selective orientation by audiences...media use is motivated by needs and goals that are defined by audience members themselves' - Mark Levy and Sven Windahl

The uses and gratifications theory contradicted and refuted the Hyperdermic needle model that suggested that audiences are passive and receive media images as such.

As uses and gratifications suggests that audiences are more active in consuming media texts, it also suggests that there is more than one reason for doing this, surveillance, correlation, diversion, and interaction being some of the more prevalent:

- Surveillance - Individuals might use a text for information and to formulate ideas
- Correlation - A consumer may seek to relate to characters or situation depicted in media texts, to learn behaviours and values or to feel validated
- Diversion - Escapism is a common reason for popularity in the media, especially with serial dramas
- Interaction - One might seek to form 'relationships' with characters or figures in media texts, and form an emotional bond - one might care about a particularly sympathetic character

All of these ideas go against the idea of a passive audience and as such the generally accepted idea has become that of uses and gratifications theory of an active audience. Cultivation theory, covering how media shapes individual outlooks and worldviews, as well as Social Cognitive theory, which allows for a more personalised application of the uses and gratifications model, stem from the idea of an active audience. A piece of media, especially a piece of advertising media such as our trailer, must be made to engage the audience as much as possible in order to be as effective as we would like it to be. This is useful to us as it gives us an idea of the way in which our trailer might be received and will allow us to cater for the needs of the active media consumer and a wider audience in general.

CM