Motivational Aspects, the Viewing Frequency of Watching and Dependence on Television in Adolescents

Results of previous studies have shown that the viewing frequency of television viewing and dependence on television depend to some extent on the motives why adolescents watch television. The aim of this study was to examine the viewing frequency of television viewing and severity of addiction to television in younger adolescents. We also wanted to explore the correlation between motives for watching, viewing frequency and dependence on television. The study included 545 students in the 7th and 8th grades of primary schools in Zagreb. Basic descriptive statistics and factor analysis were used to verify the factor structure of used questionnaires used in a sample of adolescents in Croatia. For determination of the correlation between the studied variables, we used Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis with the motives for TV watching as a predictor variable, and the frequency dependence of the television viewing as a criterion variable. The results obtained in research conducted on watching television in a Zagreb population of adolescents show that students on average watch television a little less than three hours per day. However, the range of TV viewing is from 0 to nine hours of TV viewing per day. Students on weekends watch more than three hours per day and the range of watching television varies from 0 to 14 hours aday. Furthermore, the results obtained in the study show that the motives for watching TV in adolescents affect the frequency of watching television and television addiction. Based on bivariate correlations, it can be concluded that the ritual of watching TV is more closely associated with dependence on television than instrumental. As to the individual motives, the most connection with dependence on television has a passive viewing that is characteristic of viewing habits, leisure, escape, loneliness (ritual viewing). The frequency of watching television during the week and the weekend were mostly linked with the motive of idleness and habits.