2. Uses and Gratification- Why do people watch TV Soap Operas?
A study shows that audiences watch soaps for three main reasons; Uses and Gratifications (U&G), parasocial
interaction (PSI) and identification (ID). These are all reasons as to why an audience watches a particular soap and is
not solely based on content. The study shows that there are four different areas which could contribute to the decision
of which soap someone wants to watch, including:
Integration and Social Interaction
• gaining insight into circumstances of others;
social empathy
• identifying with others and gaining a sense
of belonging
• finding a basis for conversation and social
interaction
• having a substitute for real-life
companionship
• helping to carry out social roles
• enabling one to connect with family, friends
and society
Entertainment
• escaping, or being diverted, from
problems
• relaxing
• getting intrinsic cultural or aesthetic
enjoyment
• filling time
• emotional release
http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/short/usegrat.html
3. Uses and Gratification- Why do people watch TV
Soap Operas?
Richard Kilborn came up with many different reasons as to why people watch soaps:
Regular part of
domestic routine
and entertaining
reward for work
Used for social and
personal
interaction
Fulfilling
individuals needs,
a way of choosing
to be alone
Identification and
involvement with
characters
Critical game
involving previous
knowledge
Escapist fantasy
Focus of debate on
topical issue
http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/short/usegrat.html
