Title

Arousal increases social transmission of information

Summary

This article explores the dynamics of social transmission and the factors influencing why certain stories or information are shared more than others in various contexts. It critiques traditional theories that focus solely on negative situations (the “3 Cs” of conflict, crisis, and catastrophe) to explain rumor spread, proposing instead that physiological arousal—triggered by emotions such as anxiety or amusement—plays a significant role in increasing the likelihood of information sharing. Two experiments are presented, demonstrating that manipulations that heighten general arousal can enhance the social transmission of unrelated content, suggesting that both the emotional content of messages and the state of arousal influence sharing behavior.

 

َAuthor

Berger J.

Year

2011

َThematic Area

Communication Studies

Topic

Misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation

Country

Global

Region

Global

Misinformation Combatting

Misinformation Diffusion

Place Published

APA 7th End Text Citation

Berger J. (2011). Arousal increases social transmission of information. Psychological Science, 22, 891–893. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611413