Rochester Institute of Technology Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Model Rumor Propagation; Groundbreaking Study Will Gauge Impact of Rumors on Human Relationships, Society.

AScribe Health News Service, September, 2005

Byline: Rochester Institute of Technology

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 6 (AScribe Newswire) -- Rumors and their often dangerous aftereffects have long been major themes in pop culture, including an entire movie devoted to the spread of one rumor, Gossip. However, little scientific data is available on the importance of rumors in social interaction.

Now, a new study by researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology will attempt to model how rumors spread in the context of social networks and how they ultimately affect individuals and groups in society. The project, led by Nicholas DiFonzo, associate professor of psychology, will be the first major attempt to meld psychological and social data with mathematical modeling of rumor propagation.

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