Potapchuk N. Psychology of Rumors in Emergency Situation Conditions.

The thesis is devoted to the theoretical and experimental study of the problem of rumors appearance and counteraction in emergency situation conditions. The meaningful analysis of the emergency situation, which causes the violation of normal living conditions of the population, leads to a threat to people’s life or health and is a factor of the rumors appearance, has been conducted. The dynamics and typology of rumors in the emergency situation conditions have been determined. The determinants of rumors appearance and their spread in the emergency situation conditions have been defined and the consequences of their influence on psycho-emotional and behavioral reactions of the population have been revealed. The structural and functional model of prevention and counteraction of rumors in the emergency situation conditions as well as the program of actions for the members of the emergency consequences elimination headquarters aimed at preventing and neutralizing rumors among the population have been developed. The general structure of the author’s development includes: the analytical and planning stage (the analysis, the emergency assessment, defining the rumors counteraction organization strategy, as well as the priority measures for their prevention and neutralization); the organizational and executive stage (the organization and implementation of measures for prevention and neutralization of rumors among the population); the control and correctional stage (the information monitoring concerning an emergency situation related events, the rumors refutation and influence on their distribution sources). The empirical study on the problem of preventing and counteracting rumors in the emergency situation conditions has been conducted. The basic ways of the effective use of rumors countering means in the emergency situation conditions have been substantiated.