Characteristics of people’s binge-watching behavior in the “entering into early adulthood” period of life

Background
The study focuses on psychological conditions of the phenomenon of binge-watching. The aim of the article was to characterize the frequency and motivation to perform binge-watching in a group of young adults. Another goal of the research was to present the results of preliminary adaptation works on two scales that were previously non-existent in Polish literature, which may be used to study binge-watching.

Participants and procedure
The study involved 854 female and 150 male participants aged 19-26 years. The participants of the research were students of Polish universities. The following research methods were applied in the study: Polish adaptation of the Viewing Motivation Scale by Alan M. Rubin and the author’s tool – Questionnaire of Excessive Binge-Watching Behaviors by Jolanta Starosta.

Results
The conducted analysis revealed a significant association between high frequency of binge-watching and escape motivation (ρ = .55, p < .05) and motivation to deal with loneliness (ρ = .42, p < .05). Furthermore, these two motivations correlate signifi-cantly with such predictors of risk for behavioral addiction as Loss of control and neglect of duties and Emotional reactions. Research has shown that the Polish adaptation of the Viewing Motivation Scale and the Questionnaire of Excessive Binge-Watching Behaviors are tools that meet psychometric standards.

Conclusions
The study shows that participants have various motivations to binge-watch series. The individuals who binge-watch with the highest frequency had a tendency to have escape motivation and motivation to deal with loneliness. There are some relations with various motivation and frequency of binge-watching with risk factors for behavioral addiction. The methods presented in the study – the Viewing Motivation Scale and the Questionnaire of Excessive Binge-Watching Behaviors – may be useful in learning about the phenomenon of binge-watching.