Individual differences in television viewing motives

The psychological origins of television viewing motives were examined within the conceptual framework of the psychobiological model of personality developed by H. Eysenck (1947, 1990). Specifically, empirical evidence of linkages between three personality dimensions-psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism-and five television viewing motives-Pass Time, Companionship, Relaxation, Information, and Stimulation-is detailed. The findings, based on a sample of undergraduates (612 males; 526 females), revealed that individuals in the neuroticism personality dimension, compared to those in the psychoticism and extraversion groups, strongly endorsed the Pass Time, Companionship, Relaxation, and Stimulation motives for television viewing. Further, the data show that individuals in the socially outgoing extraversion group strongly reject the notion of using television as a functional alternative to interpersonal companionship. Some implications of these findings are discussed.