Title
Social Responses To and Motivation Involving Knitting Vlog Viewing
Department/School
Emerging Media
Date
2021
Document Type
Article
Keywords
Identification, loneliness, motivation, parasocial interaction, perceived homophily, social cognitive theory, vlogs, YouTube
DOI
DOI: 10.1177/1354856520960287
Abstract
This project explores social psychological factors and motivation involving vlogs, filling gaps in the understanding of viewing needs and outcomes of this new cultural practice. An exploratory online survey asked over 400 knitting vlog viewers about expected outcomes of viewing, loneliness, identification, perceived homophily, parasocial relationship strength, motivation to knit, and motivation to view knitting vlogs, addressing hypotheses involving common expected outcomes and viewing motivation, how well loneliness predicts parasocial relationship strength, and how these feelings predict motivations to view vlogs and to knit. The results showed that feelings of activity and social connection most strongly predicted motivation to view and to knit. Loneliness did not play a role in parasocial relationship strength. These findings suggest that the social qualities of knitting vlogs may play an important role in motivating viewers to watch and to knit.
Volume
27
Issue
2
Published in
Convergence
Citation/Other Information
Gregg, P. B. (2021). Social Responses To and Motivation Involving Knitting Vlog Viewing. Convergence 27(2), 508-523. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354856520960287