The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors - Hardcover

DiFonzo Ph.D., Nicholas

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9781583333259: The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1583333258 ISBN 13: 9781583333259

Publisher: Avery, 2008

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An analysis of the human drive to perpetuate rumors shares examples from all walks of life to argue that rumors stem from a deeply rooted motivation to make sense of the world, in an account that offers insight into both individual and group psychology as it pertains to gossip behavior. 20,000 first printing.

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About the Author:

Nicholas Difonzo is a professor of psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has published numerous scholarly articles on the topic of rumor and is the coauthor of the academic book Rumor Psychology. His work on the phenomenon of rumors in the workplace was featured in the 2006 New York Times Magazine �“Year in Ideas�” issue.

Nicholas DiFonzo is a professor of psychology at Rochester Institute of Technology.

From Publishers Weekly:

DiFonzo, a professor of psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology whose work on rumors was featured in the New York Times Magazine's 2006 Year in Ideas issue, uncovers some surprising facts about rumors: what they are and why we spread them, listen to them and believe them. Drawing on a host of studies, DiFonzo illustrates how rumors are a fundamental phenomenon of social beings. Rumors are created by people who are in unclear or confusing situations and want desperately to find an explanation. There are different varieties of rumors: they can express something much wished for (year-end bonuses), while others are a form of propaganda. Rumors can be a remarkably efficient way of spreading information: a study of military gossip during WWII found that the grapevine passed information just as accurately as—and more quickly than—official channels. But gossip drives wedges between people as often as it binds them. Viral rumors, spread repeatedly by e-mail, can gain credibility from repetition, and such repetition can turn a rumor into a self-fulfilling prophecy: banks fail, stocks tank. DiFonzo's clear explanations and entertaining examples make for thoughtful reading. (Sept.)
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