'''Edward I. Donnerstein''' (born 1945<ref name=sbcd/>) is an American professor of communication and psychology. His interests include mass media violence and mass media policy.<ref name=UA2009/>

Donnerstein is the author of over 240 academic publications. He extensively studied the links between exposure to violent media, in particular violent pornography, and aggressive behavior and rape myth acceptance. He was member of many commissions, panels, and task forces related to violence, pornography, and mass media. He made many presentations and took part in various governmental hearings on the above issues.<ref name=UA2009/>

He was with UC Santa Barbara during 1986–2002, serving as Dean of Social Science and appointed the Arthur N. Rupe Professor of Mass Communication. Before that he was professor of communication at the University of Wisconsin.<ref name=ucsb2002/> Since then, he has served as the Dean of the University of Arizona College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (2002-2009) and member of the faculty since then.<ref name=UA2009>[https://news.arizona.edu/story/donnerstein-steps-down-as-dean-of-the-ua-college-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences Donnerstein has served as dean since September 1, 2002, and also is a professor of communication]</ref>

==Research== Donnerstein was one of the researchers in a 1981 study showing that exposure to violent pornography in which victims are portrayed as enjoying violence -- increased sexual aggression in viewers.<ref name="Mitigation">{{cite web |last1=Donnerstein |first1=Edward |last2=Linz |first2=Daniel |title= Techniques Designed to Mitigate the Impact of Mass Media Sexual Violence on Adolescents and Adults |url=https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/document/101584932X606/PDF/101584932X606.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251013223440/https://digirepo.nlm.nih.gov/ext/document/101584932X606/PDF/101584932X606.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{rp|p=3}} Two more of his 1983 studies showed that exposure to violent media, sexual or not, increased aggressive behavior in subjects experiencing social conflict with women.<ref name="Mitigation"/>{{rp|p=5}}

==Recognition== 2008: Distinguished Scientific Contribution to Media Psychology award from the American Psychological Association citing "outstanding empirical and/or theoretical contributions to the field of media psychology."<ref name=UA2009/>

==Personal== Donnerstein earned a B.S. in psychology at the University of Florida (1967), and a Ph.D. in psychology from Florida State University (1972).<ref name=sbcd>[https://news.arizona.edu/story/new-sbs-dean-named New SBS Dean Named]</ref><ref name=ucsb2002>[https://news.ucsb.edu/2002/011546/donnerstein-honored-prestigious-endowed-chair Donnerstein Honored With Prestigious Endowed Chair], January 18, 2002</ref>

Donnerstein's spouse is Deborah Levine-Donnerstein,<ref name=sbcd/> Ph.D. in Administration, Education Leadership and Policy Analysis from University of Wisconsin-Madison (1988).<ref>[https://www.coe.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/levinefinalvitae.doc Academic Vitae. Deborah Levine-Donnerstein, Ph.D.]</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Donnerstein, Edward}} Category:Living people Category:University of Wisconsin faculty Category:University of California, Santa Barbara faculty Category:University of Arizona faculty Category:20th-century American psychologists Category:21st-century American psychologists Category:Communication theorists Category:Mass media theorists Category:1945 births