Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes
Binge-watching is often studied in research, and discussed in lay writings, under the assumption that it is a maladaptive and problematic behavior. However, as with all media use, there are circumstances in which binge-watching may be functional for an individual. This paper explores the role of int...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005444 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841545574694780928 |
|---|---|
| author | Ezgi Ulusoy Dominique S. Wirz Allison Eden Morgan E. Ellithorpe |
| author_facet | Ezgi Ulusoy Dominique S. Wirz Allison Eden Morgan E. Ellithorpe |
| author_sort | Ezgi Ulusoy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Binge-watching is often studied in research, and discussed in lay writings, under the assumption that it is a maladaptive and problematic behavior. However, as with all media use, there are circumstances in which binge-watching may be functional for an individual. This paper explores the role of intentionality—defined as the extent to which a viewing session was planned and executed as planned—in differentiating problematic from unproblematic binge-watching behavior. We present results from a survey (n = 180) in which the participants randomly were asked to think about a recent viewing session in which they'd either intentionally or unintentionally watched multiple episodes of television in a row. The results suggest that intentional binge-watching sessions are generally associated with positive mood states and satisfaction, while unintentional sessions often lead to negative outcomes such as goal conflict and guilt. Moreover, motivations for binge-watching, such as social interaction and enrichment, were more pronounced in intentional sessions, while unintentional sessions were driven more by situational factors like cliffhangers and curiosity. Intentionality is thus a useful boundary condition for the definition of binge-watching as a problematic vs. non-problematic behavior when studying its antecedents and consequences. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d6d5eae1fcc41928c9016a0d136ac8b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d6d5eae1fcc41928c9016a0d136ac8b2025-01-12T05:23:58ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-02-01252104666Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomesEzgi Ulusoy0Dominique S. Wirz1Allison Eden2Morgan E. Ellithorpe3Department of Communication, Michigan State University, United States of America; Corresponding author.Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Communication, Michigan State University, United States of AmericaDepartment of Communication, University of Delaware, United States of AmericaBinge-watching is often studied in research, and discussed in lay writings, under the assumption that it is a maladaptive and problematic behavior. However, as with all media use, there are circumstances in which binge-watching may be functional for an individual. This paper explores the role of intentionality—defined as the extent to which a viewing session was planned and executed as planned—in differentiating problematic from unproblematic binge-watching behavior. We present results from a survey (n = 180) in which the participants randomly were asked to think about a recent viewing session in which they'd either intentionally or unintentionally watched multiple episodes of television in a row. The results suggest that intentional binge-watching sessions are generally associated with positive mood states and satisfaction, while unintentional sessions often lead to negative outcomes such as goal conflict and guilt. Moreover, motivations for binge-watching, such as social interaction and enrichment, were more pronounced in intentional sessions, while unintentional sessions were driven more by situational factors like cliffhangers and curiosity. Intentionality is thus a useful boundary condition for the definition of binge-watching as a problematic vs. non-problematic behavior when studying its antecedents and consequences.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005444Binge-watchingTelevision useWell-beingIntentionalityMotivations |
| spellingShingle | Ezgi Ulusoy Dominique S. Wirz Allison Eden Morgan E. Ellithorpe Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes Acta Psychologica Binge-watching Television use Well-being Intentionality Motivations |
| title | Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| title_full | Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| title_fullStr | Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| title_short | Boundaries on a binge: Explicating the role of intentionality in binge-watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| title_sort | boundaries on a binge explicating the role of intentionality in binge watching motivations and problematic outcomes |
| topic | Binge-watching Television use Well-being Intentionality Motivations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691824005444 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ezgiulusoy boundariesonabingeexplicatingtheroleofintentionalityinbingewatchingmotivationsandproblematicoutcomes AT dominiqueswirz boundariesonabingeexplicatingtheroleofintentionalityinbingewatchingmotivationsandproblematicoutcomes AT allisoneden boundariesonabingeexplicatingtheroleofintentionalityinbingewatchingmotivationsandproblematicoutcomes AT morganeellithorpe boundariesonabingeexplicatingtheroleofintentionalityinbingewatchingmotivationsandproblematicoutcomes |