In 1938, actor Orson Welles hosted a radio broadcast dramatizing H. G. Wells's science fiction classic The War of the Worlds. A CBS radio dance music program was interrupted suddenly by a news bulletin informing the audience that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were in the process of conquering the earth. The ensuing reaction was an example of __________.
A) mass hysteria
B) propaganda
C) public opinion
D) mass mob behavior

Question

In 1938, actor Orson Welles hosted a radio broadcast dramatizing H. G. Wells's science fiction classic The War of the Worlds. A CBS radio dance music program was interrupted suddenly by a news bulletin informing the audience that Martians had landed in New Jersey and were in the process of conquering the earth. The ensuing reaction was an example of __________.
A) ​mass hysteria
B) ​propaganda
C) ​public opinion
D) ​mass mob behavior

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The panicked reaction of the audience to the broadcast is an example of mass hysteria, which is defined as a widespread fear or irrational behavior that is spread among a group of people.

In 1938, Actor Orson Welles Hosted a Radio Broadcast Dramatizing