AI Article Synopsis
- Rumors can significantly undermine the effectiveness of public health messaging during a crisis by spreading inaccurate information.
- Understanding the emotional connection between individuals and the rumors helps explain why people are more likely to believe them.
- Preliminary data suggests that individuals who are in an angry emotional state are more likely to accept rumors that also evoke anger, highlighting an important consideration for public health officials.
Article Abstract
Rumors pose a significant challenge to officials combatting a public health crisis. The flow of unsubstantiated and often inaccurate information can dilute the effects of more accurate messaging. Understanding why rumors thrive in this context is a crucial first step to constraining them. We propose a novel mechanism for explaining rumor acceptance during a health crisis, arguing that the congruence between one's emotional state and the emotion induced by a rumor leads people to believe the rumor. Data collected using a novel experimental design provide preliminary evidence for our emotional congruence hypothesis. Participants who felt angry were more likely to accept anger-inducing rumors than those who were not angry. We discuss the implications of this insight for public health officials combatting rumors during a health crisis.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2018.1527877 | DOI Listing |
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