| A new era in television has emerged. Technologic advancements have created unprecedented audience choice and content creation freedom. Consequentially, to attract higher levels of involvement from television viewers, certain types of programming have become more sophisticated and compelling. As a result, narrative forms in particular are evolving in terms of complexity and intensity. The compound effect of these shifts indicates an important transformation in television audience engagement. This study seeks to understand the audience experience in two ways: a) by creating an individual-level engagement style profile model from the extensive lineage of uses and gratifications theory (UGT) in entertainment media; b) specifically exploring the personal experience of those whose engagement style profile indicates a more deeply engaged viewing tendency. Findings of this study suggest that UGT constructs are a very effective language for systemic observation of individual audience viewer predilections. |
