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Missouri State University

Talk Show Viewing Motives: an Exploratory Perspective

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the relaltionship between gender, age, and talk show viewing motives. Talk show viewing motives were operationalized using Rubin's motive instrument. Students from six randomly selected introductory communication classes, members of a nontraditional student organization (OASIS), and residents of a retirement home were given Rubin's instrument to assess their talk show viewing motives. The results, listed in order of frequency of response, showed that the three primary viewing motives of talk shows were entertainment, to pass time, and relaxation. Quantitative analysis of the data revealed that women viewed talk shows significantly more each week than men, but the motives for viewing televised talk shows were not different between the genders. Significant differences were also found between subjects' life stages and six of the viewing motives: companionship, pass time, entertainment, social interaction, information, and arousal.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Arts in Communication
Level thesis:degree_level
Masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Communication
Year
1995

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Cress, Stacy L.
Contributors dc:contributor
  • John Bourhis

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • © Stacy L Cress

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/277
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-1278

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Missouri State University
Base URL
bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Cress, Stacy L.. Talk Show Viewing Motives: an Exploratory Perspective. Masters thesis, 1995. https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/277