Not all members of the radio audience of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast panicked immediately.Indeed,some didn't panic until they looked out of the window and saw empty streets; others didn't panic until they saw streets full of traffic.It was after checking out the situation that these citizens decided that the Martians had indeed invaded Earth.This example illustrates that contagion

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The example shows that people interpreted the situation, which was ambiguous, in a way that was consistent with their fears. They saw empty streets and traffic jams and assumed that it was evidence of a Martian invasion. This is a clear example of contagion resulting from people's interpretations of events rather than rational thinking or independent decision-making. Cultural norms and irrationality are not as clearly illustrated in this example as the interpretation of ambiguous situations.

Not All Members of the Radio Audience of Orson Welles