SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PREDICTORS OF INFORMATION SEEKING AND MEDIA USE, A MULTIVARIATE RE-ANALYSIS. REPORT. PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH (CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968).

USING DATA FROM A STANFORD UNIVERSITY STUDY IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF 25 MEDIA USE AND INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIORS. SEVEN SOCIAL-PERSONAL AND THREE PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES WERE ALSO CONSIDERED. YOUNGER ADULTS WERE MOST LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN ADULT EDUCATION, ESPECIALLY VOCATIONAL COURSES AND EVENING CLASSES AND USE RADIO FOR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT. OLDER ADULTS WERE THE ONES MOST LIKELY TO READ "READERS' DIGEST" AND RELY ON RADIO FOR INFORMATION. READING OF FICTION BOOKS AND OF DOMESTIC AND FASHION MAGAZINES (WOMEN), AND PARTICIPATION IN ARTS AND CRAFTS COURSES (MEN) AND LIBERAL ARTS (WOMEN) WERE BEST PREDICTED BY SEX. EDUCATION CORRELATED WITH READING OF BOOKS, NEWS MAGAZINES, AND PERIODICALS IN GENERAL AND WITH RECENT PUBLIC LIBRARY USE. INCOME AND EDUCATION WERE STRONG PREDICTORS OF NEWSPAPER USE. RECEPTIVITY TO NEW EDUCATIONAL MEDIA PREDICTED THE USE OF REFERENCE BOOKS, IMPERSONAL INFORMATION SEEKING, AND INDEPENDENT STUDY. MEMBERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS CORRELATED CLOSELY WITH INTERPERSONAL INFORMATION SEEKING, AND THE PERCEPTION OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION IN MEDIA WAS RELATED TO USE OF "LIFE" MAGAZINE, SERIOUS TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND SPECIFIC INFORMATION SEEKING. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION CORRELATED WITH NONFICTION READING. IMPLICATIONS AND ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES WERE SUGGESTED. INCLUDED ARE 52 TABLES AND FIGURES AND 28 REFERENCES. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH, CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968. (LY)