ABSTRACT
Aligned with the uses and gratifications approach, the purpose of this study was to explore why viewers watch Hallmark romance movies. Adults living in the United States (n= 468) were recruited for this two-part study. In the quantitative portion, participants were asked the extent to which they watch for common reasons including pleasure, meaningfulness, relaxation, escape, habit, passing time, social interaction, learning, excitement, comfort, predictability, and parasocial connection. Results indicated that viewers watch for all of these reasons, especially pleasure, relaxation, and escape. Comfort and parasocial connection were also strong motivations. Individual differences, particularly age, predicted some motivations. In the qualitative analysis, two viewer profiles emerged. The first was the engaged viewer who watches for pleasure, and the second was the less engaged viewer who watches out of habit or to pass the time. Viewers also described features of Hallmark romances that make them particularly appealing, such as happy endings. These results are discussed in light of prior research on uses and gratifications of romance media.
