Scale Construction and Validation of Uses and Gratifications Motivations for Smartphone Use by Tourists: A Multilevel Approach

Abstract

This study introduces and applies the uses and gratifications theory to travel and tourism, resulting in a classification of U & G motivations (extant items) for this field. Uses and gratification motivations are important for understanding e-tourist satisfaction. However, a measurement model for examining them has not been developed in the field of travel and tourism. To address this gap, this study develops valid and reliable scales for uses and gratification motivations for smartphone use by tourists. Multilevel linear modeling (MLM) was used to avoid biases caused by common traits and features within a tourist group and to measure group effects. The scales conceptualized motivations for smartphone use by travelers, i.e., the U & G motivations, as a four-dimensional construct: social interaction, information, entertainment, and convenience. All scales demonstrate the appropriate psychometric properties for evaluating U & G motivations. The scales developed here can serve as an effective tool for future empirical research to better understand the motivations for smartphone use by travelers and to identify the relationships among U & G motivations, attitude, and e-tourist satisfactions in travel and tourism.

Are you a spontaneous traveler? Effect of sensation seeking on tourist planfulness in the mobile era

“…Tourism is an important application field of mobile ICTs ( Buhalis, 2020 ; Lv et al, 2020 ), and the number of individuals using social medias on smartphone to plan their trips is increasing. Firstly, the smartphone offers a convenient channel that tourists can use it at any time to search for information, check availability and book or pay, navigate to destinations, and so forth ( Lamsfus et al, 2015 ; Liu et al, 2022 ; Moon and An, 2022 ). In view of that smartphone usage can extend tourist decision-making process phase until en route, tourist’s tendency to elaborate a detailed trip plan proactively will be declining accordingly, especially for high sensation seekers who are far more willing to try the new applications of smartphone under new circumstances (i.e., the unusual environment of travel), thus to be more spontaneous and take risks.…”

Exploring the application of the uses and gratifications theory as a conceptual model for identifying the motivations for smartphone use by e-tourists

“…Thus, this study has introduced and applied the U&G theory to the travel and tourism field. As shown in Figure 1 (Moon and An, 2022a), the study found four motivations for using smartphones by tourists, referred to as the U&G motivations, specifically social interaction, information, entertainment and convenience. And thus, this study conceptually addressed the link between the theory (U&G motivations) and smartphone research in the field of travel and tourism, providing a conceptual model for U&G motivations in smartphone research in tourism.…”

“…Although most past studies have centered on developing theoretical foundations in ICT and social media in the context of tourism, it was not based on theoretical frameworks with their corresponding appropriate constructs. These constructs and models are needed because they help us to systematically investigate the nature of the research body in a scientific manner (Moon and An, 2022a, 2022b).…”

“…Some tourism scholars have pointed to the need for more smartphone and tourism research focused on measuring constructs and the tourism experience based on a theoretical framework (Kim and Law, 2015; Wang et al , 2016; Yu et al , 2017; Moon and An, 2022a, 2022b). To address this need, the study reported here suggests a specific classification (constructs) and conceptual model to enhance our understanding of the uses and gratification (U&G) motivations for tourists’ use of smartphones.…”

The destination marketing and media profile – travel motives nexus amid tourism crisis: the mediating effect of the nation brand

“…This multi-pronged approach is consistent with the rationale of Palmgreen and Rayburn's (1979) Use and Gratification Theory (UGT), which acknowledges that information symmetry-based heuristic cues are important in the consumptive decision-The destination marketing and media profile making of consumers. Thereby, consumers access multiple marketing, and media touchpoints to satisfy their information symmetry needs to appraise or confirm their perceptions and attitudes towards an offering (Chavez et al, 2020;Moon and An, 2022). Moreover, promoting tourism and influencing tourists' perceptions and travel behaviour amid crises prompts the need for an integrative approach to destination marketing.…”