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The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement
This study explores how repeated exposure to violent content in films, television series, and video games may influence behavioral outcomes among Egyptian media consumers. Drawing on the General Aggression Model, Social Learning Theory, and Cultivation Theory, it examines how individual interpretati...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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AUC Knowledge Fountain
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613425486528512 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Eskander, Melissia Emad |
| author_browse | Eskander, Melissia Emad |
| author_facet | Eskander, Melissia Emad |
| author_sort | Eskander, Melissia Emad |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This study explores how repeated exposure to violent content in films, television series, and video games may influence behavioral outcomes among Egyptian media consumers. Drawing on the General Aggression Model, Social Learning Theory, and Cultivation Theory, it examines how individual interpretation, emotional involvement, and narrative absorption mediate the effects of media violence. It also considers how personality traits shape audience responses, specifically aggression, empathy, and narrative immersion.
A mixed-methods approach was adopted. A structured survey of 200 Egyptians aged 18 and above assessed media exposure, aggression, empathy, narrative engagement, and behavioral outcomes. In parallel, a content analysis of Egyptian films and series (2019–2025) aired on streaming platforms and internationally popular video games analyzed how violence was depicted in frequency, intensity, justification, and emotional tone. SEM was used to test both direct and mediated effects.
Findings indicate that participants high in aggression and low in empathy showed stronger engagement with violent media. This engagement helped link exposure to increased aggression and lower prosocial behavior. Content analysis revealed that violence was often framed as justified or consequence-free, reinforcing aggressive thinking through cultural and narrative cues. The study calls for collaboration among educators, regulators, and mental health professionals, and encourages further research into how cultural context and emotional engagement shape media effects across different age groups in non-Western societies. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3614 |
| institution | American University in Cairo (Egypt) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:35:56.457Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| publisherStr | AUC Knowledge Fountain |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | AUC Knowledge Fountain — bepress |
| spelling | oai:fount.aucegypt.edu:etds-3614 The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement Eskander, Melissia Emad This study explores how repeated exposure to violent content in films, television series, and video games may influence behavioral outcomes among Egyptian media consumers. Drawing on the General Aggression Model, Social Learning Theory, and Cultivation Theory, it examines how individual interpretation, emotional involvement, and narrative absorption mediate the effects of media violence. It also considers how personality traits shape audience responses, specifically aggression, empathy, and narrative immersion. A mixed-methods approach was adopted. A structured survey of 200 Egyptians aged 18 and above assessed media exposure, aggression, empathy, narrative engagement, and behavioral outcomes. In parallel, a content analysis of Egyptian films and series (2019–2025) aired on streaming platforms and internationally popular video games analyzed how violence was depicted in frequency, intensity, justification, and emotional tone. SEM was used to test both direct and mediated effects. Findings indicate that participants high in aggression and low in empathy showed stronger engagement with violent media. This engagement helped link exposure to increased aggression and lower prosocial behavior. Content analysis revealed that violence was often framed as justified or consequence-free, reinforcing aggressive thinking through cultural and narrative cues. The study calls for collaboration among educators, regulators, and mental health professionals, and encourages further research into how cultural context and emotional engagement shape media effects across different age groups in non-Western societies. 2026-02-15T08:00:00Z thesis application/pdf https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2562 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3614/viewcontent/melissia_emad_eskander_thesis.pdf Theses and Dissertations AUC Knowledge Fountain Keywords: violent media aggression empathy media engagement Egyptian audiences content analysis behavioral outcomes. Communication Mass Communication Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| spellingShingle | Keywords: violent media aggression empathy media engagement Egyptian audiences content analysis behavioral outcomes. Communication Mass Communication Social and Behavioral Sciences Eskander, Melissia Emad The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title | The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title_full | The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title_short | The Impact of Violent Content Media Exposure on Behavioral Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Media Engagement |
| title_sort | impact of violent content media exposure on behavioral outcomes the mediating role of media engagement |
| topic | Keywords: violent media aggression empathy media engagement Egyptian audiences content analysis behavioral outcomes. Communication Mass Communication Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| url | https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2562 https://fount.aucegypt.edu/context/etds/article/3614/viewcontent/melissia_emad_eskander_thesis.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT eskandermelissiaemad theimpactofviolentcontentmediaexposureonbehavioraloutcomesthemediatingroleofmediaengagement AT eskandermelissiaemad impactofviolentcontentmediaexposureonbehavioraloutcomesthemediatingroleofmediaengagement |