Deconstructing the rumour mill
by Rebecca Gill
Rumours are all around us – in the office tearoom, tabloid newspapers and celebrity gossip websites. While some people dismiss rumours as idle talk, UniSA Associate Professor Prashant Bordia, along with his American co-investigators, have just received a US$750,000 grant to research this hot topic.
Awarded by the American National Science Foundation, the grant will help Prof Bordia and a team of interdisciplinary researchers study the ramifications of rumours in social networks.
Professor Bordia, who teaches in the human resource management program through the School of Management, was excited that UniSA and its students would have an opportunity to be involved in cutting-edge international research.
“The purpose of this study is to try to understand how rumours propagate, and what role motivations play in which rumours get selected and which ones get filtered out,” he said.
Prof Bordia has been researching rumours for nearly a decade – exploring them in a variety of contexts – particularly in business and management settings.
“Rumours are fascinating because they go to the heart of what it is to be a social animal. We encounter knowledge of an uncertain veracity all the time – through the media, Internet, personal networks – and that’s what rumours are.”
With a research subject that is commonly perceived as trivial, Prof Bordia is familiar with people querying the merits of his study.
“When I say I study rumours, people laugh and think it’s another one of those ridiculous topics that academics end up studying.
“But then you explain what consequences they have – for health behaviour, for financial markets, workplaces, organisations – and people begin to realise the important roles rumours play in everyday life.
“Rumours have damaging effects, particularly with intergroup discord. For example, ethnic riots are almost always preceded by rumours.”
Prof Bordia believes this is of major concern in contemporary society, where racial tensions and ethnic rivalries can be rife.
“Rumours also create panic, and this is what caused the recent stampede in Baghdad, where almost 1000 people died. Rumours of food contamination or carcinogens can also cause expensive product recalls.”
While some rumours can appear to have a positive impact, like rumours of corporate downsizing prompting a short-term productivity increase, Prof Bordia said, “because effects are based on unverified information, they can be shortlived – and they must be treated with caution.
“We want to prevent and manage the harmful effect of rumours. Research gives individuals a greater understanding of why people say what they say, and may allow them to become better consumers of information.”
So has Prof Bordia ever heard rumours about himself?
“Ahh, yes – but I will not reveal what they were,” he laughed.
But the Professor believes his personal experience of rumours may almost prove an exception to the rule.
“It certainly brings the research to life. Often when you study a topic you approach it from a cold, rational perspective – so it can help you to better relate with your research topic and participants.”