Essay on Rumour

Rumour changes as it spreads. A very simple fact may be turned to a matter of great national or emotional importance because of rumour.

Rumour usually spreads through gossips. When one person speaks that a person has died in a rail accident and when it spreads to the thirtieth person, it is gossiped that 100 persons have been killed. Various incidents and facts in this way are exaggerated fitting with the emotional needs and attitudes of the concerned persons. It spreads through the mouth more speedily than by any other means.

In this age of telecommunication rumour spreads like fire through telephone and fax message. When such rumours are printed in the newspapers and pamphlets they are more readily believed and more strongly accepted as true facts by large number of people who read them. Yellow journalism tries to bring down the reputation of persons getting name and fame in different areas through the phenomenon of rumour.

Similar to the method of serial reproduction and repeated reproduction of Bartlett, the process of rumour can be classified to levelling, sharpening and assimilation. While confirming the view of Bartlett. Allport and Postman (1947) hold that there are tendencies to level, to sharpen and to assimilate to personal and cultural contexts.

Bartlett holds on the basis of his research data that memory is always constructive and never reproductive. According to him, when an individual is confronted with a complex problem situation he does not normally take such a situation detail by detail and meticulously build up as a whole.

In all ordinary instances, he has an overwhelming tendency, simply to get a general impression of the whole and on the basis of this he constitutes the probable detail.

Very little of his construction is literally observed and often as demonstrated experimentally, a lot of it is distorted so far as the actual facts are concerned. For all practical purposes, there is almost addition and subtraction specially when there is greater ambiguity and subjectivity in the perceived element.

Rumour spreads in a homogenous group more quickly than in a heterogeneous group because in a homogenous group different persons believe each other and there is less disbelief and more faith keeping of course other factors same. Secondly, rumour spreads more quickly when the situation is unstructured and vague and there is enough scope for distortion and manipulation of facts.

Rumour also spreads more speedily with easy means of communication like telegram, telephone, fax and newspapers. Rumour also spreads more rapidly during the time of war and election, social unrest and crisis. When there is a threat of war, people are quite uncertain of things.

So many rumours spread and people believe them. When the situation is fluid and the uncertainties prevail everywhere, suggestibility works strongly and rumour spreads rapidly.

Sherif and Sherif hold “when the individual is confronted by conditions of fluidity and instability, he experiences uncertainty, suspense and even anxiety. These discomforting experiences follow logically enough from the proposition that there is a tendency towards psychological patterning.”

Thus, the unstable and fluid situations, block the use of habitual guideline for behaviour. By distorting facts and making it complete according to the existing needs and demands he tries to bring some kind of stability.

Some authors like Frenkei, Brunswik (1949) have referred to this phenomena as intolerance of ambiguity. Particularly when many individuals face this kind of situation the already established standards of behaviour are weakened and new facts emerge. This is how rumour spreads.

When one is not sure of certain facts and the situation has not been properly structured and the goal is not properly visualized there is more chance for spread of rumour. When everyone knows that a great old person is ill for several days or months, and the rumour spreads that he has expired, people believe it.

Hence expectancy, mental set and suggestibility also act as additive factors for the spread of rumour. Many rumours float during war time like so many soldiers have been killed, so many people have been massacred, so many war aircrafts have been damaged by the enemy and many more such gossips.

Some years back due to the terrorist attack many innocent persons left Punjab and settled elsewhere. Note that there were no terrorist attacks on innocent people. But some attacks were made on people by vested interest parties to develop a fear psychosis and spread the rumour that all Hindus are being killed.

Why this was done? In many cases the intention was that if people fly away leaving their moveable and immovables properties, they will grab those properties. The process behind the acceptance and spread of rumour was summarized by Allport and Postman (1965) in their study of rumours during World War II and various other experimental studies.

“Whenever a stimulus field is of potential importance to an individual, but at the same time unclear or susceptible to divergent interpretations, a subjective structuring process is started. The process begins at the moment the ambiguous situation is perceived, but the effects are greatest if memory intervenes. The longer the time that lapses, after the stimulus is perceived the greater the change is likely to be until the rumour has reached an aphoristic brevity and is repeated by rote.”

Rumours spread sometimes with the purpose to create a crisis and social unrest. Allport and Postman observe that rumours have the characteristics of importance and ambiguity. When an incident or fact relates to an important person, important issue, or important group, there is a lot of ego involvement in it and so people show great amount of interest. Such news produce anxiety in the person.

So, he tries to reduce his anxiety by communicating to other individuals whom he meets. But, people usually do not show interest for unimportant and trivial matters. In this regard, reference may be made to a personal experience of the present author. This author was holding various top posts of the state Education Deptt. from 1986 to 1994 as educational administrator.

This author still remembers with anguish as well as pleasure that whenever a top post of the education Department or Universities of the State was lying vacant, this author’s name was immediately linked to it and there were rumours everywhere that this author is going to hold it, although in many cases the rumours proved baseless.

Similarly, rumours arc sometimes spread against people in high positions that they have accumulated lot of wealth through improper ways.

This may be due to jealousy. Scape goat theory also operates behind such kind of rumour. When certain people do not get job through fair means of recruitment, they spread the rumour that the recruitment authorities are taking money to give appointments.

Thus, rumour spreads when the selfish interest is not fulfilled. The second important characteristics of rumour is that when the whole situation is vague and ambiguous then only rumour spreads.

Rumour usually does not spread when there are enough factual information with people which clarifies the whole situation and makes everything transparent. Then only there will be no scope for people to believe the facts that spread through rumour. Lack of information and ignorance are two wings on which rumour soars. Through rumour the insufficient knowledge and ambiguous ideas are made complete and clear.

Though most of the newspapers base their information on verified and authentic facts, some newspapers help in spreading rumour by publishing stories which have not been confirmed.

When big people posted in high place having position, authority, prestige and reputation in the society make certain utterances in the public without sufficient verification of facts or make irresponsible baseless remarks, people believe them uncritically being guided by the sense of prestige suggestion.

Thirdly, prejudices, preconceived notions, attitudes and rigidity of people help in the spreading of rumours. People accept certain informations readily without any hesitation when they fit in with their prevailing view and existing attitude.

Smith’s study support the above view. Cantril found that women of lower economic and educational standard are influenced strongly by informations without any rational analysis. However, it cannot be said that rumours are always entirely baseless. It is said that there is no smoke without fire. Rumours might have very thin or slim basis.

A man and a woman are seen together in a car as the woman wanted a life. There is no special relationship between them. But, an enemy or a person with vested interest spreads the rumour that they have some illicit relationship. Here, the event is twisted and their relationship is given a different colour to suit some one’s ego and evil interest.

Knapp Hadley, Cantril and his associates and Sinha have made important studies on the spread of rumour. People take recourse to rumour because it relieves their tension and anxiety. Since, every person experiences some tension and anxiety, every person is susceptible to some kind of rumour.

However, there is individual difference in the susceptibility to rumour. Some people are there who usually do not believe in facts hastily with proper verification. In sum, it is seen that several factors functioning jointly help in the spread of rumour.

Rumours fade as quickly as they spread. It is said that public memory is very short. Rumours fade within days or weeks depending upon various factors.