What motivates short-form video consumption? Development and validation of a multidimensional short-form video use...

Short-form video platforms have rapidly become a dominant mode of digital engagement, yet existing measures of user motivation have largely been adapted from broader social media or smartphone instruments rather than designed for the distinctive affordances of short-form video. The present research developed and validated the Multidimensional Short-Form Video Use Motivation Scale across two studies of frequent users (total N = 1728) aged 19-40. An initial item pool was generated through literature reviews and focus group interviews, followed by content validity evaluation. In Study 1 (n = 719), exploratory factor analysis yielded a 22-item, five-factor solution: Fun Seeking, Information Seeking, Convenience, Escapism, and Social Disconnection Avoidance. In Study 2 (n = 1009), confirmatory factor analysis supported both the five-factor model (CFI = 0.945, RMSEA = 0.056, SRMR = 0.041) and a higher-order structure distinguishing Instrumental Motives (Fun Seeking, Information Seeking, Convenience) from Avoidance Motives (Escapism, Social Disconnection Avoidance). Criterion validity was evidenced by theoretically coherent associations with boredom, self-control, loneliness and social isolation, and the behavioral activation/inhibition systems. Critically, hierarchical regression showed that Avoidance Motives accounted for greater unique variance in intensive short-form video use than Instrumental Motives (ΔR² = 0.11 vs. 0.07). These findings indicate that short-form video use is driven by qualitatively distinct instrumental and avoidance-oriented motivations, offering a theoretically grounded, cross-platform tool that moves beyond addiction-centered measurement.