VIDEO GAME AUDIO: IMPACT ON EXPERIENCE AND CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT

This dissertation explored the media features of interactivity (i.e., watching vs. playing) and audio to understand the role they play in shaping media experiences. The study provides additional insights into feelings of presence, levels of empathy, and intentions for continued engagement based on individual media experiences in response to media features. The video game Florence was used as the stimulus for an experimental design investigating media features at multiple levels to better understand how design of those features can potentially improve media experiences for individuals in different contexts, which might increase their desire to continue engaging with the same media or franchise in the future.