Abstract

Asian cultures have been heavily influenced by Western culture due to globalization. Video on demand (VOD) services provide a means to quantify the westernization of Asian cultures, especially those within South Korea. As the majority of current binge-watching studies have been conducted utilizing U.S. samples, there is a need for comparative research between the two cultures, to see if westernization can be quantified via these means. The current study examined the relative levels of five Korean binge-watching motivations (enjoyment, efficiency, recommendation of others, perceived control, fandom) and eight American binge-watching motivations (escape, information, engagement, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, habit) sourced from prior research, among a Korean (n =113) and American (n = 193) sample. Results indicated that both Americans and Koreans scored highly on enjoyment and engagement. Americans scored higher on nine out of the 13 motivations: efficiency, recommendation of others, fandom, escape, relaxation, passing time, hedonism, social, and habit. Koreans scored higher on two out of the 13 motivations: information and perceived control. Also, Americans binge-watched more frequently than Koreans. In conclusion, the outcome of the study suggests where society is going with VOD services and binge-watching as a deeper understanding of binge-watching in a cross-cultural setting. Future researchers should consider a qualitative study to overcome the limited range of TV viewing motivational scales and a random sampling, assuring diversity in sample groups.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Fine Arts and Communications; Communications

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2020-03-19

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd11695

Keywords

binge-watching, television, South Korea, the United States

Language

english

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