THE EFFECTS OF A THREATENING RUMOR ON A DISASTER-STRICKEN COMMUNITY -- PREFACE -- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- Contents -- INTRODUCTION -- I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- A. POPULATION -- B. INDUSTRY -- C. GEOGRAPHY -- D. PREVIOUS FLOODS -- E. THE FLOOD OF AUGUST 19, 1955 -- F. THE FALSE REPORT -- II. COMMUNICATION PATTERN OF THE RUMOR AND DENIAL -- A. OVERALL VIEW -- B. DETAILED ACCOUNT -- SUMMARY -- III. ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONDENT DATA -- A. DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SAMPLE -- B. DISASTER EXPERIENCE OF RESPONDENTS BEFORE CIRCULATION OF FALSE REPORT -- C. THE SITUATION IN PORT JERVIS BEFORE DISSEMINATION OF THE FALSE REPORT -- D. SPREAD OF THE FALSE REPORT -- E. REACTIONS OF RESPONDENTS TO THE FALSE REPORT -- F. DISSEMINATION OF THE DENIAL MESSAGES -- G. REACTIONS TO THE DENIAL -- H. ATTITUDES TOWARD DISASTER GROUPS -- I. ADVICE TO OTHERS -- J. SUMMARY -- IV. INTERPRETATIONS OF THE DATA -- A. HYPOTHESES -- B. A GAME THEORETIC MODEL OF THE DATA -- V. CONCLUSIONS -- A. VALIDITY OF THE DATA -- B. THE SPREAD OF THE FALSE REPORT -- C. OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES DURING THE DISASTER -- D. EFFECTS OF THE MESSAGE -- APPENDIX A ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS OF THE STUDY -- Preliminary Survey -- Training Interviewers -- The Interview Form -- INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN HUMAN RELATIONS PJNY -- Thank You for Your Help ! -- APPENDIX B SAMPLING METHODOLOGY -- A. Possible Sources for Sample Selection -- B. Selection of the City-Wide Sample -- C. Selection of the Saturation Sample -- D. Assignment of Respondents to Interviewers -- E. Replacements -- F. Additional Factors Considered -- G. Empirical Checks -- KEY RESPONDENTS -- APPENDIX C CODING RESPONDENT PROTOCOLS -- ANALYZING THE KEY INTERVIEWS -- SAMPLE PAGES FROM INSTRUCTIONS FOR CODERS -- Introduction -- Coding Categories -- APPENDIX D DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESPONDENT SAMPLE -- BIBLIOGRAPHY.