AoIR Abstract

Author(s): Yaron Ariel

Title: "Web Site interactivity and gratifications expectations among users "

*** This paper explores the linkage between interactivity that is potentially provided to users by a web site, and users' gratifications expectations. To examine this linkage, we used the framework of the "Uses and Gratifications" theory, often mentioned when new media developments gain scholars attention, and apparently a dominant and influential perspective in media and user studies (Liebes, 2003). Thus, this theory continues to be a relevant framework in new media studies [for examples: Electronic Bulletin Board (Rafaeli & Sudweeks, 1997); Video Game (Sherry et al, 2001); Interactive TV (Livaditi et al, 2002); Pager (Leung & Wei, 1999); Cellular phone (Leung & Wei, 2000)]. The present study focuses on a specific application of the internet, the World Wide Web, which have also been a main interest of Uses & Gratifications studies (Lin, 2002; Luo, 2002; Ebersole, 2000). According to the theory basic definitions, people are not passive in their relations with the media; they seek specific media and specific content in active ways, in order to obtain specific gratifications (Katz, Blumler & Gurevitch, 1973). Based on the conceptual distinguish proposed between Sought and Obtained gratification (Palmgreen & Rayburn, 1982), overcoming severe criticism regarding respondent's lack of rationality and introspective capabilities, we emphasis the concept of expectancy. However, while the expectations towards traditional media tend to build on the genres conventions (content, style & form), expectations towards Web Sites focuses on their functionalities (Kwasnik et al, 2001). Considering these assumptions, we can define the concept of "gratification expectancy" as a persons' belief that using a web site can fulfill specific voids in his life, using four basic categories of gratification expectancy: cognitive, integrative, emotional and escapist. These categories are relevant and comparable for contemporary new media, as they were for the traditional studies (Ruggiero, 2000). The interactivity considered in this study as the functionality that facilitates the users' expectations, is usually identified as one of the most salient functionality of the web (Heeter, 1989; Kang, 2002) but too often received ambiguous definitions (Heeter, 1989; Schultz, 2000). Following Rafaeli (1988), who examined interactivity as a variable based on relatedness of sequential messages, we examine web site along a continuity of three different levels of interactivity. The first, Declarative interactivity, operationalized as a web site that has no features of message transmission between its users. Second, Reactive interactivity, operationalized as a web site that include electronic forum within. Third, Full interactivity, operationalized as a web site with synchronic chat. The main research question of this study is whether the interactivity that Web Sites enabled their users is relating to their expectations gratifications. In light of this question, three hypotheses were raised. H1 predicts a positive correlation between the level of Web Sites' interactivity and the level of expectations gratifications among its users. H2 predicts a significant difference between users' experience level with internet usage within their level of expectations gratifications along levels of interactivity. H3 predicts a positive correlation between any individual expectancy gratifications to others. In addition, variables such as sex, education level and the general attitude towards the internet were examined as an intervene variables. Personal codes with web address were giving to diverse population (including university students at the undergraduate level and high schoolteachers' faculty). 464 participants answered a web questionnaire while presenting by an example of a web site that enabled one of the three levels of interactivity. Likert scale statements examined the gratifications expectations and some additional questions examine socio-demographic characteristics, attitude toward the web and characteristics of using it. Results show high gratifications expectations in relation to all three the web site. Furthermore, the strength of the gratifications expectations found to be similar in all sites, longitudinally from high to low expectancy: Cognitive, Integrative, Escapist and Emotional. Hypotheses were partly confirmed; the level of gratifications expectations did not relate significantly to the level of interactivity, so hypothesis H1 cannot be confirmed. Nevertheless, when examined only for the advance internet users (top 75 percent of the sample), we find a clear tendency to have a higher gratification expectancy for the higher the level of interactivity. Thus, the data provide confirmation for hypothesis H2. This can be easily explained by clarifying the concept of expectancy; it builds on one's own experience with the related subject. Hypothesis H3 also confirmed with strong correlations (r=.46-.74) between one gratification expectancy to the other, indicate that a person's diverse expectancies is part of a general expectations towards the Web Site. Other results regarding intervening variables show that women tend to have higher gratifications expectancies as compared to men and general positive attitude toward the Internet can predict higher gratification expectancy than negative attitude. Contrary to most of the Uses & Gratification studies, we suggest that studies using this framework should not try to measure the objective factors and products of the process; rather they should examine the subjective expectations and perception of gratifications. We also emphasis the research of medium functionalities rather than its conventions, doing so we are able to imply that interactivity might help us in clarifying that web user's expectations and gratifications are in the beholders (characteristics) eyes.

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AoIR 5.0

	*Author(s):* Yaron Ariel
	*Title:* "Web Site interactivity and gratifications expectations among users "

***	This paper explores the linkage between interactivity that is potentially provided to users by a web site, and users' gratifications expectations. To examine this linkage, we used the framework of the "Uses and Gratifications" theory, often mentioned when new media developments gain scholars attention, and apparently a dominant and influential perspective in media and user studies (Liebes, 2003). Thus, this theory continues to be a relevant framework in new media studies [for examples: Electronic Bulletin Board (Rafaeli & Sudweeks, 1997); Video Game (Sherry et al, 2001); Interactive TV (Livaditi et al, 2002); Pager (Leung & Wei, 1999); Cellular phone (Leung & Wei, 2000)]. The present study focuses on a specific application of the internet, the World Wide Web, which have also been a main interest of Uses & Gratifications studies (Lin, 2002; Luo, 2002; Ebersole, 2000). According to the theory basic definitions, people are not passive in their relations with the media; they seek specific media and specific content in active ways, in order to obtain specific gratifications (Katz, Blumler & Gurevitch, 1973). Based on the conceptual distinguish proposed between Sought and Obtained gratification (Palmgreen & Rayburn, 1982), overcoming severe criticism regarding respondent's lack of rationality and introspective capabilities, we emphasis the concept of expectancy. However, while the expectations towards traditional media tend to build on the genres conventions (content, style & form), expectations towards Web Sites focuses on their functionalities (Kwasnik et al, 2001). Considering these assumptions, we can define the concept of "gratification expectancy" as a persons' belief that using a web site can fulfill specific voids in his life, using four basic categories of gratification expectancy: cognitive, integrative, emotional and escapist. These categories are relevant and comparable for contemporary new media, as they were for the traditional studies (Ruggiero, 2000). The interactivity considered in this study as the functionality that facilitates the users' expectations, is usually identified as one of the most salient functionality of the web (Heeter, 1989; Kang, 2002) but too often received ambiguous definitions (Heeter, 1989; Schultz, 2000). Following Rafaeli (1988), who examined interactivity as a variable based on relatedness of sequential messages, we examine web site along a continuity of three different levels of interactivity. The first, Declarative interactivity, operationalized as a web site that has no features of message transmission between its users. Second, Reactive interactivity, operationalized as a web site that include electronic forum within. Third, Full interactivity, operationalized as a web site with synchronic chat. The main research question of this study is whether the interactivity that Web Sites enabled their users is relating to their expectations gratifications. In light of this question, three hypotheses were raised. H1 predicts a positive correlation between the level of Web Sites' interactivity and the level of expectations gratifications among its users. H2 predicts a significant difference between users' experience level with internet usage within their level of expectations gratifications along levels of interactivity. H3 predicts a positive correlation between any individual expectancy gratifications to others. In addition, variables such as sex, education level and the general attitude towards the internet were examined as an intervene variables. Personal codes with web address were giving to diverse population (including university students at the undergraduate level and high schoolteachers' faculty). 464 participants answered a web questionnaire while presenting by an example of a web site that enabled one of the three levels of interactivity. Likert scale statements examined the gratifications expectations and some additional questions examine socio-demographic characteristics, attitude toward the web and characteristics of using it. Results show high gratifications expectations in relation to all three the web site. Furthermore, the strength of the gratifications expectations found to be similar in all sites, longitudinally from high to low expectancy: Cognitive, Integrative, Escapist and Emotional. Hypotheses were partly confirmed; the level of gratifications expectations did not relate significantly to the level of interactivity, so hypothesis H1 cannot be confirmed. Nevertheless, when examined only for the advance internet users (top 75 percent of the sample), we find a clear tendency to have a higher gratification expectancy for the higher the level of interactivity. Thus, the data provide confirmation for hypothesis H2. This can be easily explained by clarifying the concept of expectancy; it builds on one's own experience with the related subject. Hypothesis H3 also confirmed with strong correlations (r=.46-.74) between one gratification expectancy to the other, indicate that a person's diverse expectancies is part of a general expectations towards the Web Site. Other results regarding intervening variables show that women tend to have higher gratifications expectancies as compared to men and general positive attitude toward the Internet can predict higher gratification expectancy than negative attitude. Contrary to most of the Uses & Gratification studies, we suggest that studies using this framework should not try to measure the objective factors and products of the process; rather they should examine the subjective expectations and perception of gratifications. We also emphasis the research of medium functionalities rather than its conventions, doing so we are able to imply that interactivity might help us in clarifying that web user's expectations and gratifications are in the beholders (characteristics) eyes.