Examining political motives and elaboration when using television and the Internet: Testing the multi-channel political motivation and elaboration model

The study examined the uses and gratifications of instrumental and ritualized media use and the elaboration likelihood model of central and peripheral message processing, as they relate to political messages on television and the Internet. Analyses focused on the relationships among instrumental and ritualized media use and central and peripheral message processing, and how these concepts predicted participation in political activities. Media exposure, intentionality, motives, and content affinity were indicators of instrumental and ritualized media use. Receiver involvement, need for cognition, and using multiple arguments were indicators of central and peripheral message processing. Participation in political activities included several behaviors, such as voting, discussing politics, and signing petitions. These concepts were used to design the Multi-channel Political Motivation and Elaboration Model, which was the basis for the study.;A questionnaire was designed to measure communication motives (i.e., gratifications sought and obtained), intentionality, exposure, content affinity, need for cognition, using multiple arguments, receiver involvement, channel use, and demographics. The questionnaire was administered to 176 women and 168 men who indicated they used television, the Internet, or both for political communication needs.;The results showed that those who used both television and the Internet for political needs were more gratified than those who used only one of these channels. Also, those who used both the Internet and television had higher receiver involvement, used more multiple arguments, and had a greater need for cognition than those who used only one channel. A second set of analyses showed that central route message processing was positively related to instrumental motives, and indicators of central route message processing were related to indicators of instrumental media use. A final analysis showed, for television viewers, age, education, political content affinity, and receiver involvement predicted greater political activity. For Internet users, age, education, social interaction motivation, receiver involvement, and need for cognition predicted greater political activity.;These results were discussed in relation to demonstrating connections between the uses and gratifications perspective and the elaboration likelihood model. The limitations of the study and directions for future research were also discussed.