In studying rumor transmission, which methodological action should a researcher imitate from Milgram's small-world experiment?

The methodological action a researcher should imitate from Milgram's small-world experiment involves focusing on specific cases that are critical to understanding the dynamics of rumor transmission. In the context of Milgram's research, the focus was on how a small number of connections between individuals could lead to the quick spread of information across a network.

By ignoring cases in which a starter does not repeat the rumor, the researcher can concentrate on the instances that truly demonstrate the process of rumor transmission, where the rumor is actually conveyed and propagated. This approach helps ensure that the analysis is relevant to the key research question by filtering out cases that do not contribute meaningfully to the understanding of how rumors spread. It mirrors Milgram's technique of selecting participants whose actions directly impacted the outcomes of interest.

This selective focus enhances the robustness of the findings by allowing the researcher to analyze the mechanisms of rumor dissemination among participants who are actively engaged in the process, thus providing a clearer picture of how rumors operate within social networks.