What is Uses and Gratifications (U&G)

The objective of the study in this chapter is to identify a small number of relatively homogeneous groups of Dutch Internet users (both broadband and narrowband), based on their usage pattern. Using individual and behavioral characteristics, we further investigate the nature of the different groups. The Uses and Gratifications approach is employed as a starting point for an online questionnaire (N=2404) that was conducted. Cluster-analysis and logistic regression were used for data analysis. We were able to identify five clusters of different Internet users based on patterns of behavior. Results show that the Internet users in our sample consist of a large group that more or less conducts the same online activities. Results also show that narrowband and wideband users differ in their Internet behavior.