2010 - Public Relations Society of America

Uses and gratifications theory has provided a well-grounded perspective for studying
motivations of blog readers (Kaye, 2005; Nardi, Schiano, Gumbrecht, & Swartz, 2004;
Papacharissi, 2004; Trammell, Tarkowski, Hofmokl, & Sapp, 2006). Kaye (2005), for example,
identifies as motivations for blog use as: entertainment, communicating with friends who have
blogs, knowledge seeking and serving as an information maven.
This study elected to focus on three possible explanations for reading product blogs.
Knowledge seeking involves users looking to blogs for specific information that might facilitate a
purchase decision, reduce risk (Schiffman & Kanuk, cited in Henning-Thurau & Walsh, 2004),
and/or provide information that is more up to date than information available in traditional media
(Hamilton, 2003; Hastings, 2003; Kaye, 2005; Levy, 2002b; Ryan, 2003). Social utility refers to
the idea that blog readers seek some sort of social advantage from the information obtained,
based on the desire to be influential, to be affiliated with others, or to help others, to be socially
accepted or to be recognized as an expert. This idea is consistent with the argument that
maintaining personal relationships are primary factors why people want to use media (McQuail,
Blumler & Brown, 1972). Diversion and entertainment refers to reading a blog simply for fun,
relaxation, and enjoyment. Like other forms of Internet communication, such as e-mail or
surfing the Web, reading blogs offers an escape from boredom and work (Kaye, 2007).
Affiliation/Independence of the Blogger
The effectiveness of product messages in blogs were posited to be moderated by readers’
perceptions about whether the blog author was a paid agent or employee of a product producer
who received payments, gifts (including valuable product samples or freebies), or a salary from a
marketer. These non-independent bloggers can be differentiated from independent bloggers,
who are unaffiliated with product producers in any way and thus have nothing to gain or lose
from making either positive or negative comments.
Independence is an important dimension of source credibility, which has been shown in
more than six decades of research to bias processing of persuasive messages. The greater the
perceived source independence and credibility, the more likely the information will be accepted
as accurate, believable, reliable and trustworthy (Hovland &Weiss, 1951; Ibelema & Powell,
2001; Fogg & Tseng, 1999; Stanford, Tauber, Fogg & Marable, 2002). Similarly, greater source
independence creates greater positive attitude change and behavioral intention (Hass, 1981;
Milburn, 1991).
Assessments about the credibility of blogs and bloggers vary widely, from general
negative perceptions (Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 2005) to quite
positive assessments among actual blog users (Banning, Bradley & Trammell, 2006; Johnson &
Kaye, 2004). Research suggests that consumers look at a variety of cues when determining the
quality of the online information, including disclosures about how information was obtained
(Greer, 2003; Hong Nana, 2009; Lee & Youn, 2009).
Positive v. Balanced Language Valence
Finally, this study examined the consequences of language use, particularly in the
inclusion of only positive comments about products (such as might be expected from a
nonindependent blogger) versus more varied language where a combination of positive, neutral
and negative comments might be included (such as might be expected from an independent
blogger).
Language expectancy theory (LET) assumes that people have specific expectations about
the language and message strategies used by mass media and in other persuasive contexts
(Burgoon, 1995; Burgoon et al., 2002). When words or the valence of ideas fall outside the
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