Abstract
This paper focuses on three main problems related to the use of electronic bulletin board(NIFTY-Serve). First, I investigate the impact of using electronic bulletin boards on other communication activities. Second, I explore the motives for using an electronic bulletin board, particularly the differences in motives among three user groups which are divided by their attitudes toward the electronic bulletin board. Thirdly, what image of the sources do users perceive through an anonymous commnication situation in which only messages are exchanged? People who use the electronic bulletin board view television much less than the average Japanese viewer. The high-attitude group is associated with more instrumental using motives than the low-attitude group. Factor analysis produced three independent dimensions for evaluating the image of message sources.
