Study on mass panic

11. September 2008 | From Tino Kressner | Category: Book Review

The high level of authenticity of the radio radio drama "War of the Worlds" by Orson Wells was about one sixth of his listeners (Cantril, 1982, p. 15) so deeply insecure that they are in fear and terror after phase swinging Martians had around or even in pure panic were. The scientist Hadley Cantril prepared a study of mass panic, he released 1940. It makes it very consciously in the tradition of the SR theory of the powerful media effects.

Stimulus-response model

The stimulus-response model suggests that media content from all the recipients immediately perceived, and subsequently almost identical effects. The model is regarded as ancestor of the Media Effects Research. It is based on the strong effects of the powerful mass media. "

Basis

1963 Maletzke effects defined in the broadest sense as "any observable human behavior and experience processes, due to the fact that the human recipient in the field of mass communication." (Maletzke 1963, p. 189). Subsequently, under the effects of all processes in the phase postkommunikativen be understood as the results of the mass communication process, as well as all the behaviors that arise when people mass media content record. (Maletzke ibid., p. 190). Effects manifest themselves in behavior that is, in knowledge, opinions and attitudes, in the emotional area, the depth of the mental spheres, and in the physis (Burkart 2002, p. 189).

The mass panic and Hadley Cantrils study

In the study 135 people were interviewed, out of 100 was already known before the interview that they broadcast through the radio were in panic.

The study was approved by the Office of Radio Research "under the direction of Hadley Cantril conducted. In addition to the survey were sent a Untersuching on behalf of the broadcaster CBS, a week after the broadcast of the radio play nationwide was conducted and a survey by the American Institute of Public Opinion (AIPO), the six weeks after the event took place. Also were also Hörherreaktionen during and after the program and reporting. Cantril has estimated that about six million Americans heard the broadcast and had a little one-sixth of Höreraschaft frightened or panic-like reactions showed.

12% of the adult population listened to the broadcast of these, 28% of the radio drama as a realistic news broadcast and misunderstood by those in turn are 70% have been frightened or disturbed. Only 2% of the adult population was established by the Hörspiel actually in fear and terror. Quotes from interviewees: "I looked out the window and saw everything as usual. "So I believed that they (the Martians) Our produces have not yet been achieved." "We looked out the window and Wyoming Street was built before cars. I assumed that people are trying to get away. "" I was terribly afraid. When the announcer said: "The city is evacuated, I ran off." "I immediately thought of the broadcast when I was a professor from Princeton and the officials heard from Washington." -> More quotes radiolab4b from 1:00

Cantril divided the audience into four groups:

Handset, the internal evidence of the radio drama examined and came to the conclusion that it is a fiction had to act.
Listeners to the program through other sources of information were examined, and so came to the conclusion that there was a radio play.
Listeners, the other sources of information were examined, but in its assumption that it was a real newscast saw confirmed.
Listeners to the broadcast and unquestioned belief in accordance with paralyzed panic reaction.

In his attempt to explain these reactions, Cantril underlines once more the importance of the medium: "None of (...) can deny that the radio play in the first few minutes was so realistic that even well-informed audience seemed as credible. The dramatic quality of the radio drama should not be overlooked "(Cantril, ibid, p. 17). In the course of his statement refers Cantril, however, the personality of the individual listener as the main variable, and thus removed from the classical SR-model, after the frightening stimulus in all of the radio drama listeners fear and horror would have to rise, not only in the sixth and also there in varying degrees.

Very religious people associated a fateful and inevitable development. Persons with high education, the reality is often doubted. Almost half of respondents with low completion believed news to hear, while only ten respondents with a college degree share this assessment.

The main reason for the cause of the mass panic Cantrill cites the high quality of the dramatic radio drama, as well as the realism of the representation. Radio was at the time a high priority in the entertainment and information value possessed. Relation thus he was a high degree of credibility assigned. The credibility was supported by a large number of fictitious experts supported. The original quote said: "I believed the broadcast as soon as I head the professor from Princeton and the officials in Washington." Furthermore, it is as basic to economic instability in the country and the fear for another war call. Decisive for the error, especially the late addition Switch.

Those who the program from the outset pursued rated this 80% as a radio play, and to 20% as news. For those who only over time zuschalteten, distributed as follows: 63% rated the program as news, and only 37% as a radio play.

Criticism

Criticism of the stimulus-response model

Transitivity
Any form of communication "goal" with a specific intent on the recipients. Is this "hit", he thus made the stimulus, the communicator in any case produce an effect.

Causality
"The content of the communication and direction of the effect (...) shall be equal" (Schenk, 1987, p. 24f). That is, a humorous message is always an amused response answered a frightening message is always with panic and terror.

Proportionality
The effect is named after the SR model not only predictable in its form, but also in its intensity. Thus, the more intense, persistent and stimulus directly to the targeted recipients, the bigger, more spectacular and lasting is the effect.

Criticism Cantril's study

The thesis of transitivity proved untenable as the first. Besides the fact that not every communication is an intention to contribute, based on the recipient seeks to create a certain effect to produce, must also nonsemantische meta-communication and care are often unconscious process, and are therefore no intention to communicator preceding page can be. The other two basic assumptions had to be revised soon.

The assumption of proportionality was confirmed by the discovery of the stimulus-threshold repealed. With the repetition of a stimulus, an Übersummation, that is, so does the allure continues, its intensity has steadily increased. This changes the effect of one and the same stimulus just yet and the theory is not true anymore.

It is thus not objective data, but subjective conclusions in the minds of a select group. The mass panic is reduced ultimately to the fact that a very small audience through the program was uncertain. This study is an illustrative example of the so-called limit qualitative approach, in which differentiation is not critical, such as self-critical interpretations are to be weighted. It corresponds more to the approach of a journalist who takes on a thesis and by incorporating so-called stakeholders alive wants. This approach certainly has educational value and may also emotionalize, but science is only of limited, namely only for the formation of a hypothesis relating current importance, namely, it can indicate what to reactions in principle conceivable, but no statement about how many people indeed an event of quality are concerned.

Could this happen again?

1944, the radio play adapted in Chile. Despite a week previously as a radio play was announced, and twice during the radio drama was repeated. Thousands are on the streets or have been barricaded in their homes. The Minister of War has been telegrafiert.

1949 Radio Quito decided in the radio play by Orson Welles for the people of Ecuador to translate. The result was a riot in which the radio station was burned down, while seven people were killed. This happened in response to the Aufkärung by the moderators. The citizens felt verarscht and took revenge.

Can it even in times of the Internet happen again?

Blair Witch Project

Step by step sowed Daniel Myrick and Edward Sanchez rumors about the disappearance of three students in the woods near Burkittsville, and on which police seized amateur recordings of Disappeared. To perfect the illusion of making forged documents, the filmmaker interviews, police photographs and news programs. This material was in small bites of the growing fan community and the media.

The timing has played in the success of Blair Witch campaign a special role. This history also appeared to be credible, had not only all the photos and eyewitness accounts are true, but also the timing realistic. Just one year before the filming of the movie actually began the young directors, therefore, information on the incidents covered by the people to bring. At the same time, they informed the public that they are consistent with the reconstruction of the explosive footage behalf. The aim of the strategy was to cleverly Beaurteilungsmechanismen the critical target audiences to infiltrate.

The viral campaign for "The Blair Witch Project" started on 15 August 1997. On this day, the independent TV station broadcast "Independent Film Channel" in the show "Split Screen" an extraordinary contribution. In the nearly ten minute documentary of the station reported the mysterious disappearance of three college students in the forests of Maryland. Level if there was a mention eerie witch myth, with the disappearance of the students was associated.

Four months before the theatrical release (July 16, 1999) reported virtually every print medium as well as almost all TV channels on the Blair Witch Project.