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Source Characteristics in Denying Rumors of Organizational Closure: Honesty Is the Best Policy
Author(s) -
Bordia Prashant,
Difonzo Nicholas,
Schulz Cassandra A.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2000.tb02438.x
Subject(s) - honesty , denial , psychology , operationalization , rumor , social psychology , anxiety , closure (psychology) , epistemology , law , psychoanalysis , political science , philosophy , psychiatry
Effect of source honesty and appropriateness on effectiveness of rumor denial was tested. When the source was perceived as high on honesty, the denial was more successful in reducing belief and anxiety associated with the rumor. Source appropriateness (operationalized as a combination of source knowledgeability and status) did not have a main effect on belief or anxiety reduction. Honesty and appropriateness had an additive effect, such that the denial was most successful in reducing belief when the source was perceived as high on both honesty and appropriateness.