Research on relationship of gratification sought, gratification obtained and microblogging user behavior

Microblogging, which has emerged as a new and popular tool for short and frequent communication, is increasingly influential in today´s businesses and society. Sina-microblog, the most popular microblogging service in China, has established a large user base; however, different users have different using styles. This study applies uses and gratifications (U&G) theory to explore user motives (gratifications sought) of microblogging, degree of gratifications after use (gratifications obtained), and the relationship between gratification obtained and user behavior in the context of Sina-microblog. In addition, satisfaction of microblogging use is investigated by comparing the differences between gratifications sought and gratifications obtained. This model is then tested with data gathered through questionnaire survey conducted with university students. This paper rounds off with conclusions and implications for future research and practice in this very new area.