Measuring Motivations for Media Exposure: A Thesis

Abstract. The present article discusses the problem of separating the motivation concept empirically from other relevant concepts in research on mass media audiences. For about half a century, audience researchers use questionnaire items with a distinct format as measurements of motivations for media exposure. It is argued that these motivation items grammatically reflect the nature of the motivation concept as a theoretically intermediate variable between behaviour and its social or mental back-ground, thus constituting the most plausible indicators of the concept. However, it is also argued that these questionnaire items are double-barrelled and that any measurement of motivations based on the items can largely be considered an ambiguous mixture of behaviour and its social or mental origin. A study is presented that provides empirical support for this position. Key words: measurement, motivations, Uses & Gratifications, audience research, construct validit