Graduation Year
2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Criminology
Major Professor
George Burruss, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Richard K. Moule Jr., Ph.D.
Committee Member
Dawn Cecil, Ph.D.
Keywords
emotion, influence, media, mediation
Abstract
This study examines how the consumption of true crime documentaries and podcasts is linked to the fear of crime and the adoption of protective behaviors. Building upon prior research that explores these relationships, this study aims to evaluate the impact of true crime content consumption and fear of crime on individuals’ engagement in protective behaviors. Using a cultivation theory framework with an analytic sample of 665 American adults, three Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions and one structural equation model are used to evaluate the relationship between true crime documentary and podcast consumption, fear of crime, and protective behaviors. Results suggest that 1) true crime documentary and podcast consumption directly influence fear of crime and engagement in protective behaviors, and 2) fear of crime mediates the relationship between true crime documentary and podcast consumption and engagement in protective behaviors.
Scholar Commons Citation
Tremblay, Lauren A., "Assessing the Relationship Between True Crime Documentary and Podcast Consumption, Fear of Crime, and Protective Behaviors" (2023). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/10095
