Rumor

A rumor is a story people tell.

Sometimes a story changes as it moves. A man named William Stern studied this. He had people pass a story along. He found the story grew shorter. It also changed by the end.

Some rumors are about things we want. Other rumors are about things we fear. Some rumors try to make people upset with each other.

People often share rumors to solve problems. They talk to try to make sense of things. This can happen on the internet too.

Rumors can spread very fast today. It is good to check if a story is true.

A rumor is a story passed from person to person. It is information that may not be true.

In 1902, a man named William Stern studied rumors. He had people pass a story from ear to ear. He found the story changed as it moved. By the end, the story was often shorter. Later, researchers Gordon Allport and Leo Postman found more details. They saw that rumors change in three ways. One way is leveling. This is when details are lost. Another way is sharpening. This is when people focus on only a few parts. The last way is assimilation. This is when people change a story to fit what they think should be true.

Some rumors are about things people want. These are called pipe dream rumors. Other rumors are about things people fear. These are called bogie rumors. Some rumors try to make groups dislike each other. These are called wedge-driving rumors.

Today, rumors spread fast on the internet. People use the web to try to solve problems by talking. You can use sites like Snopes to check if a story is real.

A rumor is a piece of information that moves between people. It is often shared without any solid evidence to prove it is true. In the study of social science, a rumor is a statement where the truth is not quickly confirmed. Some experts even see rumors as a part of propaganda. People often talk about rumors alongside misinformation or disinformation. Misinformation is often just false information. Disinformation is information that is meant to be false, usually from a government or a foreign group.

Scientists have studied how these stories change as they move. In 1902, a German researcher named William Stern studied this by using a chain of people. Each person passed a story from mouth to ear without being allowed to explain it. He found that the story became shorter and different by the time it reached the end. Later, Gordon Allport and Leo Postman studied how rumors travel. They found that about 70% of the details are lost in the first five or six people. They used three special words to describe this movement. Leveling is when details are lost. Sharpening is when people focus on only a few specific parts. Assimilation is when people change a story to fit what they already believe.

Researchers have found different types of rumors based on why people tell them. A man named Knapp identified three main types. Pipe dream rumors are about things people want to happen. Bogie rumors are about things people fear might happen. Wedge-driving rumors are meant to make groups of people dislike each other. For example, some rumors might suggest a group is not loyal to their country. Knapp also noticed that negative rumors are often shared more than positive ones.

Rumors can also be used as a way for people to solve problems together. In 2004, researchers Prashant Bordia and Nicholas DiFonzo looked at message boards on the internet. They found that most discussions about rumors were actually attempts at "sense-making." This means people were trying to find an explanation for something happening. They noticed that rumors on the internet usually follow a four-stage pattern. First, a rumor is introduced for discussion. Next, people volunteer and discuss information. Then, a resolution is reached or interest is lost.

Today, rumors play a big role in politics and strategic communication. In politics, negative rumors about an opponent are often very effective. In strategic communication, which is used by governments and militaries, rumors can be used as weapons. Some experts call these "narrative IEDs." These are low-cost ways to spread fear or disrupt a plan. The internet allows rumors to spread faster than ever before. Because of this, people now use websites like Snopes.com or FactCheck.org to see if a story is actually true.

A rumor is an unverified piece of information that circulates among people. It moves through a community without solid evidence to prove it is true. In the social sciences, researchers define rumor as a statement whose honesty cannot be quickly confirmed. Some scholars even categorize rumors as a specific subset of propaganda. It is important to distinguish rumors from misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation is information that is simply false. Disinformation is information that is deliberately false, often spread by a government or a foreign power.

Early research helped us understand how these stories change during transmission. In 1902, a German researcher named William Stern conducted pioneering experiments. He used a "chain of subjects" to pass a story from mouth to ear. The participants were not allowed to repeat or explain the story. Stern discovered that the story became shorter and changed by the time it reached the end. His student, Gordon Allport, later expanded this field of study. In 1944, Allport analyzed over one thousand rumors from a newspaper column. He defined rumor as a proposition for belief that is shared without official verification.

Researchers have identified specific ways that rumors transform as they travel. In a 1947 study, Gordon Allport and Leo Postman observed message diffusion. They found that about 70% of details are lost within the first five or six transmissions. They used three technical terms to describe this process. Leveling refers to the loss of specific details during transmission. Sharpening occurs when people select and emphasize only certain details. Assimilation is a distortion where people change information to fit their own subconscious motivations. For example, subjects might describe a truck as carrying medical supplies when it actually carried explosives.

Sociologist Knapp identified three distinct types of rumors based on their content. The first type is called "pipe dream" rumors, which reflect public desires or wished-for outcomes. The second type is "bogie" or fear rumors, which reflect outcomes that people dread. The third type is "wedge-driving" rumors, which aim to undermine loyalty between groups. These wedge-driving rumors can make different communities distrust one another. Knapp also discovered that negative rumors are generally more likely to be shared than positive ones. This shows how rumors can impact the emotional needs of a community.

Modern technology has changed how rumors function in social interactions. In 2004, Prashant Bordia and Nicholas DiFonzo studied rumors on the internet. They analyzed message board discussions to see how people use rumors for "social cognition." They found that 29% of statements were "sense-making" statements. These are attempts by a group to solve a problem or find an explanation. They observed that internet rumors usually follow a four-stage pattern of development. First, a rumor is introduced for discussion. Second, information is volunteered and discussed. Finally, a resolution is reached or interest in the topic is lost.

Rumors also play a significant role in the world of politics. Negative rumors about a political opponent are often more effective than positive rumors about one's own side. While scholars have studied political rumors since the time of Aristotle, recent focus has shifted to modern media. The internet allows for the very fast diffusion of these stories. Because of this speed, new tools have emerged to help people find the truth. Websites such as Snopes.com, urbanlegend.com, and factcheck.org are used to debunk false claims. These sites help individuals navigate the complex landscape of digital information.

In the field of strategic communication, rumors can act as dangerous tools. Strategic communication is the process of crafting messages to meet organizational goals. This is often used by governments, militaries, and non-governmental organizations. Some experts describe rumors in this context as "narrative IEDs." This term compares rumors to explosive devices because they can be used as weapons. They are low-cost and low-tech, meaning almost anyone can use them. These narrative IEDs can be used to disrupt communication or instill fear in a population.