Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Imad Zaheer

Second Advisor

Melissa Peckins

Abstract

Exposure to collective traumatic events through media has become increasingly common, particularly among college students who frequently engage with digital and social media platforms. Prior research has shown that repeated exposure to traumatic media content can contribute to psychological distress, but less is known about how such exposure relates to resilience and coping processes. The present study examined the relationship between media exposure to collective trauma and resilience among college students, as well as whether coping strategies mediated this relationship. Participants included 63 undergraduate and graduate students recruited through a university participant pool and social media platforms. Participants completed an online survey measuring exposure to traumatic media content, coping strategies used to manage distress related to media coverage, and resilience assessed using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). Linear regression analysis indicated that media exposure was not a significant predictor of resilience. A mediation analysis using bootstrapping procedures was conducted to examine whether coping strategies mediated the relationship between media exposure and resilience. Results showed that coping strategies were positively associated with resilience; however, media exposure was not significantly related to coping or resilience, and the indirect mediation effect was not significant. These findings suggest that resilience among college students may be more strongly related to coping strategies than to the level of exposure to traumatic media content.

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