On the Perceived Functions of Movies

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study examined perceptions of the functions of movie attendance. One hundred American college students completed a questionnaire designed to examine their reasons for going to movies and for their enjoyment of them. In addition, each student grouped recent movie titles into categories containing movies perceived to have something in common and indicated their preference for each group created. Factor analysis revealed three general types of moviegoers, each type perceiving movie attendance as serving a different function: (a) the individual who attended movies as a means of self-escape, (b) the individual who attended as a means of self-development and, (c) the individual who attended purely for the entertainment value of the movie. These factors were systematically related to movie preference (e.g., those who attended as a means of escape preferred movies with an air of unreality). The present results have implications for why people go to movies and the functions that movies may hold for different individuals.