Did you ever wonder how rumors get started? I think that it is an example of both the primacy and vividness effect. Rumors usually start by someone saying “Guess what I saw…” The reason they must say that is because it is a vivid image to them, plus it is usually only the beginning of an encounter that people see. Example: “On Saturday, I was talking to a girl named Kim at a party. At around midnight, we both left the party and went to her room. This one girl (a friend of my girlfriend) saw me do this. However, she didn’t see me leave 2 minutes later with my phone in my hand. This one girl, however, immediately ran and told Vickie that I was screwing around on her. This was because she saw something that seemed weird to her, plus it was the first info she saw. The fact that she saw me in the lounge, alone, 5 minutes later didn’t change the fact that the info was there. Vickie believes me, however.”

Reflection:  Are rumours ever verifiable?  Are they based on an aspect of truth?  Have you even been or heard of someone whose been victimized by a rumour? How do rumours get started? Where do they originate? Perhaps speculate on why people are so willing to believe a rumour despite being faced with information that contradicts the rumour. What are the errors in reasoning that contribute to acceptance of a rumour? Is compliance a factor in the life of a rumour? Is your behaviour altered by your attitude about something you saw or heard? Can you be persuaded by incomplete information?