Question 1 of 12Correct: 0
Why does the hitchhiker story seem believable?
Why does repeating a rumor make it more believable?
What does a legend about an abandoned house usually begin with?
Why do details match across stories about different houses?
Why is the rat rumor more often tied to a major chain?
What suggests a rat story is more likely folklore?
Where did Slender Man come from?
Why does this case matter to researchers?
Which sign gives away an urban legend?
Why do legends seem local in every city?
What is the main sign of an urban legend?
How is a myth different from it?
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Why We Believe in Vanishing Hitchhikers0/2How Legends of Abandoned Houses Are Born0/2Where the Legend of a Rat in Your Food Came Fromin the app0/2Who Invented Slender Man0/2Why Scary Stories Survive for Decadesin the app0/2How an Urban Legend Differs from a Mythin the app0/2
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Answers and explanations12 questions
- Why does the hitchhiker story seem believable? It has many everyday details and one exceptionRain, an address, and a familiar road seem ordinary, while only the vanished passenger is impossible.From “Why We Believe in Vanishing Hitchhikers”
- Why does repeating a rumor make it more believable? The story feels familiar, while the source fadesOver time, the claim itself and a sense of reliability remain in memory, while caveats and the source are forgotten.From “Why We Believe in Vanishing Hitchhikers”
- What does a legend about an abandoned house usually begin with? The real reason for its abandonment is unknownAn empty house demands an explanation, while mundane reasons are boring and do not get retold.From “How Legends of Abandoned Houses Are Born”
- Why do details match across stories about different houses? All houses have similar physical featuresCreaks, drafts, and plays of light are everywhere, and people explain them in similar ways.From “How Legends of Abandoned Houses Are Born”
- Why is the rat rumor more often tied to a major chain? Everyone finds a familiar sign interestingRumors stick to market leaders: a chain everyone knows makes the story more tempting to retell.From “Where the Legend of a Rat in Your Food Came From”
- What suggests a rat story is more likely folklore? It has no name, city, or dateStories without a name, city, or date cannot be checked, especially when they blame the most famous chain.From “Where the Legend of a Rat in Your Food Came From”
- Where did Slender Man come from? From a 2009 forum contest for fake scary photographsThe creator is known by name, and the date is exact.From “Who Invented Slender Man”
- Why does this case matter to researchers? It is a legend with a known creator, date, and complete correspondenceFolklore is usually studied after the fact, with researchers guessing at its origins.From “Who Invented Slender Man”
- Which sign gives away an urban legend? The story happened to a friend of a friendThis reference creates the appearance of a source while also making verification impossible.From “Why Scary Stories Survive for Decades”
- Why do legends seem local in every city? The setting changes to a local one in retellingThe stories that survive are not the most truthful, but the easiest to retell.From “Why Scary Stories Survive for Decades”
- What is the main sign of an urban legend? The person involved is always a friend of a friendThe source is close but out of reach, so you can't check it, while the trust is already there.From “How an Urban Legend Differs from a Myth”
- How is a myth different from it? It is about the origin of the world and takes place outside ordinary timeA legend, by contrast, pretends to be something that happened recently nearby.From “How an Urban Legend Differs from a Myth”