Abstract

This study examined the relationship between exposure to disturbing media and a number of strain outcomes. Past research suggests that individuals exposed to disturbing media report symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and burnout (Perez, Jones, Englert, & Sachau, 2010). This relationship was further explored in the current study. Additionally, the current study explored the roles of social support and job meaningfulness in the work place, as past research suggests that support and meaningfulness may help to mitigate the negative outcomes typically found among workers exposed to traumatic stressors (Britt, Adler, & Barton, 2001; Halbesleben, 2006; Morales, 2012; Stephens & Long, 2000). The job demands-resources model (Bakker, Demerouti, & Euwema, 2005) served as the theoretical framework for the current study. Participants were recruited through email and completed an online survey. The results of the study showed that exposure was not related to secondary traumatic stress or emotional exhaustion. Also, coworker support and job meaningfulness did not serve as a significant moderator in any of the analyses. However, exploratory analyses revealed that the relationship between exposure and professional efficacy was mediated by job meaningfulness, suggesting that organizations can decrease the risk of burnout symptoms (specifically, a decrease in professional efficacy) by promoting awareness of the meaningful nature of working with DM. Additional implications of the study's findings were discussed.

Advisor

Lisa M. Perez

Committee Member

Kristie Campana

Committee Member

Marilyn Fox

Date of Degree

2014

Language

english

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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In Copyright