Rumor

Rumors: The Unverified Truths That Shape Our World

Have you ever heard a rumor that seemed too good (or bad) to be true? A whisper that spread like wildfire through the grapevine, leaving everyone wondering what’s real and what isn’t? What exactly is a rumor? In social sciences, it’s defined as an unverified piece of information circulating among people, especially without solid evidence. But why do rumors persist, and how do they shape our perceptions?

The Scholarly Definition

William Stern in 1902 laid the groundwork for modern scholarly definitions of rumor. According to Robert H. Knapp, a rumor is a proposition for belief of topical reference disseminated without official verification. This means that rumors are spread through word of mouth and often pertain to current events or people.

The Three Types of Rumors

Knapp identified three basic characteristics: transmission by word of mouth, providing ‘information’ about a ‘person, happening, or condition,’ and expressing and gratifying ‘the emotional needs of the community.’ Based on these traits, he divided rumors into three types:

• Pipe Dream Rumors: These are optimistic tales that people hope will come true.
• Bogie or Fear Rumors: These spread fear and anxiety among the community.
• Wedge-Driving Rumors: These rumors aim to create divisions within a group, often by highlighting differences or conflicts.

The Evolution of Rumor

Rumors don’t just stay the same; they change over time. In his research, Robert H. Knapp and Gordon Allport observed that rumors undergo three processes: leveling (loss of detail), sharpening (selection of details), and assimilation (distortion due to subconscious motivations). Imagine a game of telephone where each person adds or omits parts of the story—by the time it reaches the end, it’s unrecognizable from its original form.

The Allport-Postman Experiment

Robert H. Knapp and Gordon Allport conducted an experiment to study how rumors evolve. They showed a test subject an illustration and asked them to describe it to another person, who then described it to yet another, and so on. The results were fascinating: the stories grew shorter, more concise, and easier to grasp. This process of rumor transmission is often referred to as ‘collective explanation,’ where people try to make sense of complex situations by simplifying them.

Rumor Transmission in Modern Times

In 2004, Prashant Bordia and Nicholas DiFonzo found that rumor transmission reflects a ‘collective explanation process.’ They analyzed archived message board discussions and discovered that 29% of statements were ‘sense-making’ attempts to solve problems. This highlights how rumors can be seen as a form of collective problem-solving, even if the information is not always accurate.

The Four-Stage Pattern

Rumors typically follow a four-stage pattern: introduction, information volunteered and discussed, and resolution. Each stage involves different elements that contribute to the spread or containment of rumors:

1. Anxiety (Situational and Personality): People are more likely to believe and spread rumors when they feel anxious about a situation.
2. Ambiguity: When individuals are unsure about a situation, they may assume the worst. Information importance is crucial in spreading rumors; false or uninteresting information won’t fuel them. Credibility is also essential, as credible sources can disprove rumors and avoid their spread.
3. Rumor Management: Effective management involves addressing ambiguity, information importance, and credibility. Rumors often originate from non-credible sources, making them unreliable until proven true.

The Strategic Use of Rumors in Politics

Political communication has long utilized rumors to its advantage, particularly in negative campaigns against opponents. Recent research focuses on the rapid diffusion of rumors through new media technologies like the Internet. In strategic communication, rumors can be deployed as ‘narrative IEDs’ (information explosives devices) to disrupt efforts and create fear. These low-cost, low-tech tools require minimal resources but can have devastating effects.

So, next time you hear a rumor, ask yourself: Is it credible? How does it make me feel? And most importantly, is there any way I can verify the information before passing it along?

Rumors are more than just idle gossip—they shape our perceptions, influence our emotions, and can even impact political landscapes. Understanding how they work is crucial in navigating the complex world of information we live in today.