RUMOR PROCESS AND ITS EFFECT ON CIVIL DISORDERS

• NCJ Number: 2607
• Journal: Police Chief Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (APRIL 1971) Pages: 16-17,20,22,24,26,28,30 & 32
• Author(s): E T Fitzgerald
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FOOTNOTED PAPER ON RUMOR AS SEEN BY PSYCHOLOGIST, HISTORIAN, PSYCHIATRIST AND SOCIOLOGIST. PROPOSALS FOR CONTROL OF RUMOR.

Abstract

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR RUMORS ARE SOUGHT IN THIS STUDY. EXAMPLES OF RUMOR CONSTRUCTION THROUGH INACCURATE TRANSMISSION ARE CITED. THERE IS A DISCUSSION ON THE REASONS FOR AND FORMS OF RUMOR ACTIVITY, AND MANY EXAMPLES ARE GIVEN OF CRITICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SITUATIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE WOULD BE PARTICULARLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUMOR. THE ROLE OF THE MASS MEDIA IN GENERATING AND TRANSMITTING RUMORS IS ANALYZED AND VARIOUS REMEDIES FOR THE PARTIAL SUPPRESSION OF RUMOR ARE RECOMMENDED.