Mass Communication and The Study of Rumor

Recent convergences are noted between studies of the diffusion of information, influence & innovation, & the study of mass COMM. Previous res on rumor has revealed 2 general patterns of content change: (1) embedding, including levelling, sharpening, & assimilation. This is common in laboratory or classroom studies where complex messages are passed from person to person through artificial groups; & (2) compounding, more characteristic of field studies of spontaneous rumors diffused through a variety of soc systems. The variables & factors associated with each pattern are briefly discussed. To test the idea that (1) is a product of forced diffusion of complex messages through artificial groups, data are presented from an exp'al study in which a 6 word message was allowed to diffuse freely through a small community, following normal soc channels. Started with 17 % of the housewives, & coupled with a reward for knowing, the message reached 84% of the relevant pop. Even with free diffusion & a brief message, (1) was still in evidence. Suggested abandonment of the embedding process as appropriate for field studies of rumor seems premature on the basis of these data. The implications of the findings for mass COMM res are briefly traced out. Modified AA.