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Online News Habits: Related Motives, Context, and Behavior

Hirsch, Christopher
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6646-0208
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1512289680289342

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, Journalism (Communication).
For a long time habit has been a blind spot of research on media attendance generally and Internet usage particularly. Especially uses and gratifications approaches have mainly focused on intentional and conscious motives. Psychological research and recent studies on media attendance, however, suggest that habit is an important determinant of media behavior, too. This study set out to examine the role of habit in the use of online news, a medium traditionally associated with instrumentality and information needs. The study draws on social cognitive theory as theoretical framework. Two hundred fifty-nine usable datasets were gathered through an open online survey. A confirmatory factor analysis confirmed habit strength as an independent factor. Habit strength had a significant influence on overall usage of online news. It was further correlated to deficient self-regulation, pass time and other self-reactive incentives, and context stability. An exploratory factor analysis tentatively confirmed hypothesized dimensions of online news behavior such as searching, elaboration, use of visual elements, follow-up actions, and distraction. These dimensions, however, lacked internal reliability.
Michael S. Sweeney (Committee Chair)
Benjamin Bigl (Committee Member)
Hans-Jo¨rg Stiehler (Committee Member)
159 p.
Cognitive Psychology; Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Multimedia Communications; Psychology; Web Studies
media habits; media use; online news; habit strength; social cognitive theory; Internet behavior; expected outcomes; deficient self-regulation; self-reactive incentives; context stability; behavioral antecedents of media use; news; quantitative survey

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Hirsch, C. (2018). Online News Habits: Related Motives, Context, and Behavior [Master's thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1512289680289342

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Hirsch, Christopher. Online News Habits: Related Motives, Context, and Behavior. 2018. Ohio University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1512289680289342.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Hirsch, Christopher. "Online News Habits: Related Motives, Context, and Behavior." Master's thesis, Ohio University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1512289680289342

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1512289680289342
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.