The essays in this volume examine the use of the mass media and explore the findings of the gratifications approach to mass communication research. Part one summaries the achievements in this area of mass media research and proposes an agenda for discussion of the future direction of this research in terms of a set of theoretical, methodological, and substantive issues that need more systematic attention. Part two contains essays which present new empirical evidence in the area of gratifications research. Among these essays are "Gratifications of Television Viewing and Their Correlates for British Children" and "Testing the Validity of Gratification Measures through Political Effects Analysis." The essays in part three contain original analytical arguments to clarify some of the problems posed in the opening overview. Sample essays include "Psychological Motives and Communication Gratification" and "Television as a Functional Alternative to Traditional Sources as Need Satisfaction." (RB)