The Understanding of a Rumor
Synopsis. One of the more interesting readings in Behrens and Rosen’s Wrting and Reading Across the Curriculum was “A Psychology of Rumor” By Robert H. Knapp. His major point was the understanding of the process and the reasoning behind rumors.
A rumor can be classified as a special case of informal social communications that include myth, legend, and current humor. Rumors have three basic characteristics to them. The first is mode transmission which is usually done through word of mouth. The second characteristic is that they provide information, ranging from a particular person, an event, or condition. Lastly, the third characteristic is that a rumor satisfies mythology, folklore, and humor. Rumors have the tendency to express and gratify the emotional needs of the community in the same way as a day dream might have on an individual. The emotional needs most frequently demanded by rumors would be wish, fear, and hostility.
There are three types of rumors, the pipe-dream rumor, the Bogie rumor, and the Wedge-driving Aggression rumor. The Pipe-dream rumor can be characterized as the expressions of the hopes and wishes of those among they circulate. The Bogie rumor is the exact opposite of the Pipe-dream, whereas instead of the expressing the hopes and wishes it expresses the fears and anxieties. The Wedge-driving Aggression rumor has the central motivation of aggression or hatred. It’s named this because it has the effect of dividing groups and destroying loyalties.
What makes a good rumor is that the rumor may not exceed the complexity greater than the memory span of the group that it’s being spread to. Short, simple and salient typically makes a successful rumor. Names, numbers, and places are typ...
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... once it passes the individual who starts it. I feel that “Managing Rumors” by John Doorley and Helio Fred Garcia treats rumors as too much like a machine that can be turned on and turned off without any trouble. Even using a mathematical formula, one is unable to control a person’s beliefs and incentives about a certain subject in my opinion.
Both “A Psychology of Rumor” By Robert H. Knapp and “Managing Rumors” by John Doorley and Helio Fred Garcia, gave great detail on rumors. They both broke down the makeup of them and gave very insightful information of certain characteristics of what to do and not do with rumors. I found “A Psychology of Rumor” By Robert H. Knapp in my opinion much more in line with my beliefs about rumors over “Managing Rumors” by John Doorley and Helio Fred Garcia.
Works Cited
Wrting and Reading Across the Curriculum by Behrens and Rosen
Summary #3 – “Campus Diversity and Student Self-Segregation: Separating Myths from Facts” by Debra Humphreys
First and foremost, it is critical to discuss and unpack the ethics behind online gossiping. The way Klosterman describes online gossiping is by using the word villainy. However, villainy is typically defined as cruel or wicked behavior. In his essay, Klosterman discusses what makes a villain in regards to the online world. Specifically, Klosterman states, “The reason Perez Hilton became a villain was because the intersection of those two qualities: It wasn’t just the content, and it wasn’t just the success. It was the creeping fear that this type of content would become the only way any future person could be successful” (226). This interpretation of villainy is quite different than what most would consider. When people hear the
Gossip can be a form of either informal or conversational talk that is not usually planned but happens spontaneously in conversation (Tholander, 2003). Gossip is a distinct and unusual form of storytelling as it involves a non-present third person. In order for a story to be considered as gossip it must handle a past event of which the absent third party was involved in. It often occurs within friendships,
Tilson, D. (1997). Toxic Sludge is Good for You! Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry (Book). World Communication, 26(1), 62.
Fuller, J.F.C. "Propaganda and War. The New Technique of Mendacity as a Psychological Weapon." Ordnance, Dec
...ore long-term effect on both the media and the person who the false information was about.
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... the rumor. In December of 1981 they received 1,152 queries, about the rumor, and then by “June, however, the center was receiving more than 15,000 queries monthly”. In just a matter of months the Rumor had skyrocketed, and this information shows just how big the rumor actually was.
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Urban legends are the supernatural folklore of our modern society. From one generation to the next, they orally travel throughout the world, constantly changing from one region to the next. Although cultural variations exist, the core of all these urban legends remains the same, to unveil the universally known individual and societal fears. “The Graveyard Wager” is a timeless urban legend told again and again, and the one of which I will explore more in depth.
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