Rumor, Gossip and Urban Legends
Nicholas DiFonzo2007, Diogenes
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Abstract
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This article explores the concepts of rumor, gossip, and urban legends, analyzing their distinct functions and the contexts in which they arise. Rumors generally emerge in ambiguous or threatening situations, serving as a means for individuals to collectively make sense of their circumstances. Gossip, on the other hand, relates to social connectivity, aiming to maintain and alter social networks, while urban legends stem from a desire for meaning, often conveying societal values through entertaining narratives. The authors seek to clarify the distinctions among these forms of social discourse.
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Misinformation, economic threat and public support for international trade
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* This study was reviewed by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects at Dartmouth College (STUDY00030078, MOD00004982), where Horiuchi is currently affiliated and Flynn was previously affiliated, and the Institutional Review Board at Stanford University (40472), where Zhang was previously affiliated. We thank Jamie Druckman, Megumi Naoi, Katy Powers, and Megan Stewart for helpful comments.
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67217-5_8 " A note on versions: The version presented here may differ from the published version or, version of record, if you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the 'permanent WRAP url' above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.
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According to the trait activation theory (TAT), personality characteristics are dormant until contextual elements stir them into action. Personality traits are expected to be activated in the context of abusive supervision. From this perspective, our paper examines whether abusive supervision affects organisational gossiping behaviour through the dark triad. To this end, this study examines the mediating effects of the dark triad on the relationship between abusive supervision and organisational gossip based on cross-sectional data gathered from two separate samples. Using the results from structural equation modelling, it is evident that abusive supervision activates the dark triad, and its context influences organisational gossip in line with the TAT. In addition, our results show that abusive supervision positively affects gossip for information gathering and relationship building, with the dark triad proving to be completely mediating. This finding implies that abusive supervisi...
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