Are ‘Audience Motivation' and the ‘Influence of Cinema on Personal Behaviour' Related? – A Study Incorporating U&G Theory on Indian Viewers of Hollywood Cinema

Abstract

Many studies have proved the impact of cinema, and its narration on audience based on demographic and psychographic considerations, till date. Similarly, the audience motivation has been studied across global, but mostly from marketing perspective (Kerrigan, 2010). Studies establishing relation between audience motivation and its influence on behavior are meager. Considering the growing and enduring popularity of Hollywood cinema among Indian youth, this paper aims to explore the key motives that drive the audience to choose a Hollywood cinema and to provide a comprehensive overview on how the audience motivation influences their personal behavior. The paper achieves this through a systematic application of Uses and Gratifications Theory reviewed by Rubin (2002) and statistical analysis of responses collected through survey method. The sample size was 400, comprising the age group of 15 to 25 years. The study reveals that there is a significant relation between the motives that drives to view Hollywood cinema and the influence of Hollywood on the behavior of the viewers. The study also evidently proved that the influence of Hollywood cinema on personal behavior is more on heavy viewers than moderate and low viewers.