The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic [Paperback]

Hadley Cantril (Author), Albert H. Cantril (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2005

On Halloween night 1938, Orson Welles broadcast a radio adaptation of the H. G. Wells fantasy, The War of the Worlds. What listeners heard sounded so realistic that at least a million were frightened by word that "strange creatures" from Mars had landed in central New Jersey and were "unleashing a deadly assault." Several thousand were so terrified they ran into the streets, drove away in their cars, or called the police for information about how to escape. Why did so many panic when the circumstances reported were so improbable? That is just the question Hadley Cantril, then a young social psychologist, set out to answer.

Originally published in 1940, The Invasion from Mars remains a classic. The broadcast provided a unique real-life opportunity to explore why the relatively new medium of radio could have such an effect. Using a mix of research methods, Cantril shows that the impact of the broadcast had less to do with what went out over the air than with the "standards of judgment" people did or did not use in evaluating what they were hearing. This book is of continuing value to those interested in communications and mass behavior.

"One of the most fascinating, illuminating and provocative social documents that have been brought to public attention for some time."--New York Times Book Review, April 28, 1940

"The dramatic account brings into sharp focus those factors in the situation and from the individuals conducive to critical appraisal or contagious panic behavior."--Muafer Sherif, 1966

Hadley Cantril (1906-1969) was chairman of the Institute for International Social Research. Earlier he founded the Office of Public Opinion Research and was Stuart Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. He was author of nineteen books and monitored public opinion for the executive branch during World War II. Albert H. Cantril, son of Hadley Cantril, is an independent public opinion analyst. Among his books are Reading Mixed Signals: Ambivalence in American Public Opinion about Government (with Susan Davis Cantril). He also worked on the White House staff during the Johnson administration and later served in the Bureaus of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Public Affairs of the Department of State.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Hadley Cantril (1906-1969) was chairman of the Institute for International Social Research. Earlier he founded the Office of Public Opinion Research and was Stuart Professor of Psychology at Princeton University. He was author of nineteen books and monitored public opinion for the executive branch during World War II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Transaction Publishers (May 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1412804701
• ISBN-13: 978-1412804707
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern classic even in its reprint edition over fifty years later, July 5, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic (Paperback)

Hadley Cantril was chairman of the Institute for international Social Research: his Invasion From Mars: A Study In The Psychology Of Panic originally appeared in 1940 but remains a modern classic even in its reprint edition over fifty years later. The focus on the lasting effects of Orson Welles' radio adaptation of the fantasy War of the Worlds explores how radio could have such an effect - and how people judged the accuracy of what they were hearing on the radio.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Psychology Experiment, October 14, 2010

By 

Maskmaker "James" (Phoenix) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic (Paperback)

Here's a quote from "America Under Attack: A Reassessment of Orson Welles War of the Worlds" by Paul Heyler of Willfrid Laurier University:

"A grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to Princeton University helped create the Princeton Office of Radio Research. The director was Paul Lazersfeld, an Austrian Jewish emigre and a social psychologist whose expertise in quantitative methods was tempered by a humanist leaning. He teamed with two associates, psychologist Hadley Cantrell and CBS researcher Fred Stanton, a PhD in psychology who would eventually become network president." (CBS=C.I.A. assett)

The broadcast was a psychological warfare experiment conducted by The Princeton Radio Project. The Rockefeller Foundation funded the project in the fall of 1937. An Office of Radio Research was set up with Paul F. Lazersfeld as director, and Frank Stanton and Hadley Cantrell as associate directors. Using demographic data on the broadcast's audience gleaned from a 10-page interview questionnaire given to 135 people, they created a book, "The Invasion From Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic."

That speaks volumes!