AN APPLICATION OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCALING TO THE STUDY OF MASS MEDIA FUNCTION

Abstract

This study was purposed to examine the new possibility of an application of Multidimensional Scaling Method to the study of mass media function. We considered television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books, and movies as six important media of mass communication, and analysed how they function and gratify various“needs”in our daily life. Facet Theory by Guttman was used to construct a certain psychological space of the individual. MDSCAL produced some interesting results, and we discussed about the relationship and inter-changability of these six media.