DOI: 10.12731/wsd-2014-9-21 UDC 316.77
TENDENCIES OF RUMOR CHANGE: A NEW OUTLOOK Gorbatov D.S, Bolshakov S.N.
Allport and Postman's concept of rumor changes is analyzed with due regard to its recent modifications. An alternative approach to the problem is suggested, the basic principle of which is conformity of the information transmitted to the interlocutors ' intellectual and emotional activity. Short-lived communication micro groups are treated as the subjects of rumor change, and concrete mechanisms of introducing changes are viewed as those determined by the interactive nature of the rumor discourse between the interlocutors performing definite communicative roles. This approach gives grounds for singling out three tendencies in rumor changing processes: implication which consists in restoring the completeness of information; credition providing its subjective credibility, and dramatization, connected with the increase of tension in the emotional background of the interaction.
Keywords: rumors, tendencies of rumor change, interaction, short-lived communication micro groups, communicative role.
ТЕНДЕНЦИИ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ СЛУХОВ: НОВЫЙ ВЗГЛЯД Горбатов Д.С., Большаков С.Н.
Проанализирована концепция изменения слухов Г. Ол-порта и Л. Постмэна с учетом ее недавних модификаций. Предложен альтернативный подход к проблеме, основным принципом которого является соответствие передаваемой информации интеллектуальной и эмоциональной активности собеседников. При этом кратковременные коммуникативные микрогруппы выделяются в качестве субъектов изменения слухов, а конкретные механизмы наблюдаемых изменений рассматриваются в контексте интерактивного характера обсуждения слухов собеседниками, выполняющими определенные коммуникативные роли. Такой подход позволяет описать три тенденции изменения слухов: импликации, предполагающей восстановление субъективной полноты информации; кредитации, обеспечивающей ее субъективную достоверность, и драматизации, связанной с динамикой эмоционального фона взаимодействия.
Ключевые слова: слухи, тенденции изменения слухов, взаимодействие, кратковременные коммуникативные микрогруппы, коммуникативные роли.
While rumors are spread, their content often undergoes definite changes. We can formally distinguish three characteristics of the process: a) disappearance of some elements of the message, b) modification of the intensity of some elements, c) appearance of new elements which were not there before. They may occur simultaneously or subsequently, and can be studied together or separately, but there is no logical reason to assume that anything else can happen to rumor
content. For the purpose of interpreting the changes we use the ideas of Allport and Postman [2-4] with the later additions by DiFonzo & Bordia [11]. The paper introduces and substantiates an alternative concept, which presupposes a transition from perceptive and mnemonic regularities to communicative ones connected with the interactive nature of rumor discourse.
Rumor change concept and its critical analysis
In the forties of the twentieth century the ideas of the gestalt psychology were used as the basis for working out a new theory of rumor content changes which is still considered to be the fundamental one [11; 21]. Taking into account the fact that information transmitters strive for the «pregnant form» which is the best for perception, memorizing and transmition, the authors of the theory described three tendencies: «leveling», «sharpening» and «assimilation» [2-4].
The essence of the first tendency was formulated in the following way: «As rumor travels, it tends to grow shorter, more concise, more easily grasped and told. In successive versions, fewer words are used and fewer details are mentioned» [2, p. 51]. Gradually acquired laconic and capacious form turns the rumor into a slogan: «The CIO is communist controlled», «The Jews are evading the draft», «The Russians are nationalizing their women» [4]. In this process details which are of special interest to rumor transmitters, in accord with their expectations or of use in structuring the rumor content manifest immunity to 'leveling'.
The second tendency can be represented «... as the selective perception, retention, and reporting of a limited number of details from a larger context» [2, p. 52]. «Sharpening», according to this theory, has
a dual nature: on the one hand, it invariably accompanies «levelling» because the elements which were not eliminated are highlighted by contrast; on the other hand, it is the direct consequence of «assimilation» as it is conditioned by the individuals' feelings, thoughts and the peculiarities of their outlook. Irrelevant details may be accentuated due to the primacy effect of perception, to the specific nature of images or unusual phrasing. It is more often, however, that the accent is laid on the details that promote a better understanding of the message, create the impression of its credibility and strengthen the recipient's feeling of involvement concerning the events and their consequences.
The authors stressed the importance of the third tendency - «assimilation», which «leads to the obliteration of some details and the pointing-tip of others; and what accounts for all transpositions, importations, and other falsifications (hat mark the course of rumor)» [2, p. 54]. This tendency was related to the influence «which has to do with the powerful attractive force exerted upon rumor by habits, interests, and sentiments existing in the listener's mind» [3, p. 505]. For instance, when during the experiments the description of a conflict in the New York underground was transmitted along a serial rumor chain, in some messages another owner of the razor was mentioned: the use of it was ascribed to an Afro-American instead of a white man. According to the researchers, «assimilation» of this type might have been caused by the personal hostility to the people of a definite race. It might also have been an expression of social stereotypes, or employment of common clichés, or the result of actualized situational expectations [3].
We should mention that the triad «leveling / sharpening / assimilation» has so far been critically reviewed more because of the metho-
dology of experimental proof [8; 24; 26; 32; 33] than due to the content of the tendencies themselves. Researchers studying rumors do not take into account some conceptual shortcomings which reduce its explanatory potential.
We would like to start the analysis with the key tendency called «assimilation». Within the framework of the discussed concept this notion comprises cognitive and emotional, social and individual, personal and communicative aspects at the same time. Since the same term can refer to different rumor changing processes, it is necessary to raise the question of the lack of inner homogeneity in this notion and its excessive scope.
Let us examine the thesis mentioned above in greater detail.
According to Allport and Postman [2], «assimilation has a great number of variants because the message must conform to definite determinants. Below the determinants are enumerated together with the corresponding variants of assimilation:
■ principal theme O making the message sound consistent, credible, and in accord with the leading idea of the narrative;
■ good continuation O filling the information gaps, complementing the message to achieve a greater degree of coherence;
■ condensation" O combining homogeneous details in order to make memorizing and reproduction easier;
■ expectations O fitting stereotyped patterns of perception;
■ linguistic habits O using adopted clichés, habitual speech formulae, which make description easier;
■ interests O reflecting subjective preferences of rumor spreaders;
■ prejudice O expressing emotionally charged biased judgment.
This list could not be considered exhaustive even at the time when the concept was worked out. It is sufficient to cite Allport's and Postman's predecessors who mentioned other factors determining information changes. Thus, Hart [17], while describing rumors, gave major consideration to «complexes», i.e. sets of emotionally charged ideas, capable of making fancy travel along definite lines. Among other determinants, Kirkpatrick [22] registered the dependence of the message content on the personal experience of the transmitters. Prasad [27] showed what important role common beliefs, ideas and group values play in emergence of rumors. F.H. Allport and Lepkin [1] and Knapp [23] wrote about the patterns of assimilating the message to social conditions. Would it not be logical to suggest that there is «assimilation» to «complexes», personal experience, group values and preceding events?
So, possible variants of «assimilation» may be even more numerous than those already mentioned. As a result, this tendency can be correlated nearly with any stable and regular rumor changes, regardless of any psychological differences. What is more, the impression is that «assimilation» is really a universal tendency, and only accidental changes in transmitted messages can be opposed to it. That can serve as a sufficient reason for doubting the rightfulness of the treatment described above.
Another problem is that independent manifestations of «assimilation» which do not entail other tendencies are extremely rare. This tendency in its pure form can be registered only when rumor transmitters substitute a word or a phrase by its synonym. Let us refer back to the example, in which the weapon (an open razor) was transferred in the imagination of some rumor transmitters from one man to another.
It is significant that, according to the authors of the theory, the change in the content of the rumor in this case was performed by «sharpening» connected with the desire of the speakers to bring the narration in accord with the schema by introducing the stereotype symbol of street violence [4].
So it is postulated by the authors that where some
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