Investigating uses and gratification motivations, individual differences, and psychological outcomes associated with media multitasking during TV-viewing contexts

Americans are increasingly becoming media multitaskers, engaging several media platforms at a time. In fact, television-viewing appears to be a common time for engaging in media multitasking (MMT) behavior as many individuals report partaking in various other mediated activities while watching TV such as doing homework, social networking, and online shopping. These changes in the media landscape have important implications for communication researchers and advertising professionals who seek to understand this behavior in order to effectively communicate with audiences. This dissertation includes two studies aimed at investigating MMT. First, formative research implementing the uses and gratifications paradigm uncovered the strongest use for, and gratification sought from the TV, laptop/computer, tablet, and smart phone within the at-home TV-viewing context. Then using selective exposure methodology, an experiment examined 1) if priming the motivation to engage one of these platforms based on the strongest use and gratification associated with it influenced MMT behavior, 2) if individual differences in the need to belong, impulsivity, and proneness to boredom influenced amount of MMT, 3) the extent to which MMT is associated with feelings of control, efficiency, affiliation, and engagement or chaos, impulsiveness, disengagement and inefficiency and 4) the extent to which individuals employed strategies that help them manage media multitasking. Overall, the data provide initial support for the contention that primary uses, or niche distinctions, emerge for common media platforms within the living room setting. In addition, the findings complement the current individual differences literature by demonstrating an association between proneness to boredom and MMT behavior. Moreover, although the data indicated that MMT can sometimes be perceived as unpleasant, individuals reported feeling some positive sentiments as well, and also endorsed using several mental strategies to help manage MMT. The results extend uses and gratifications to new media environments and explore potential variables that may play an integral role in future models of media multitasking behavior.