Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 66
recruiter characteristic that affected some students negatively also had a positive impact on
other students. Reactions to specific components of the recruiter‘s appearance and actions
arranged according to the percentage of students who responded negatively and positively
were-. wearing a costume or special clothing (78% negative vs. 16% positive) wearing
jewelry or badges (84% vs. 11%) using slogans and mottos (78% vs. 12%) selling food
(65% vs. 22%) showing pictures (62% vs. 20%) selling flowers (60% vs. 30%)
distributing pamphlets or brochures (55% vs. 2%) describing group‘s program (74% vs.
15%) making eye contact (64% vs 25%) showing affection (63% vs. 28%) using hand
gestures (64% vs. 25%) talking in a loud voice (78% vs. 15%), or in a soothing voice
(52% vs. 37%). When the recruiter was perceived to be ―enthusiastic‖, evaluations were
evenly divided, 46% responded positively and an equal amount negatively. Few students
mentioned that the recruiter requested donations from them, and as might be expected,
more of those who did so tended to react negatively than positively to such requests.
Perceptions of Cults
From the list of thirty groups named, the majority of students reported the following as
qualifying for cult status: Moonies (90%) Peoples Temple (89%) Hare Krishha (83%)
Manson Family (81%) Divine Light Mission (72%) Unification Church (64%) Children of
God (63%4) Friends of Love (‗-)9%) and Eckankar (51%). There was divided opinion
about whether cult was the appropriate term for Sri Chinmoy, Scientology, Love Israel,
Kundalini Yoga, Sikhs, The Way, and Est. The importance of labels in categorizing a group
as a cult is shown by the marked difference in response to three terms used for Reverend
Moon‘s Unification Church. Nearly all respondents saw the ―Moonies‖ as a cult, while about
two-thirds (64%) qualified the Unification Church as a cult, but only 38 percent identified
CARP as a cult group. CARP is the acronym for Collegiate Association for Research on
Principles, a more recently developed branch of the Unification Church.
The majority of students included in their spiritual vocabulary these terms attributed to
―new age groups‖ by expects: Bible study, cult, meditation, commune, fellowship,
consciousness raising, and The Family.
In general the descriptors selected for cults (on the semantic differential scales) tend to be
those with strongly negative connotations. Among the most frequently designated terms
for cults. are. ―not worthwhile‖ (64%) ―threatening‖ (62%) ―crazy‖ (60%) ―Profit-
minded‖ (58%) ―irresponsible‖ (50%) ―anti-freedom‖ (35%) ―Painful‖ (35%) ―political‖
(35%) and ―non-religious!‘ (22%). A smaller percentage of students endorsed positive cult
descriptors: ―religious‖ (43%) ―non-political‖ (22%) ―Pro-freedom‖(21%) ―Pleasurable‖
(14%) ―responsible‖ (10%) ―charity-minded‖ (9%) ―worthwhile‖ (9%) ―safe‖ (8%), and
―sane‖ (7%).
This generally negative view of cults extends to the respondents‘ characterizations of a
typical member. Nearly three-fourths (74%) of the students perceived the typical cult
member to be ―different from me,‖ while a mere 4 percent saw him or her as ―similar to
me.‖ The remaining 22 percent checked middle positions on the semantic differential scale,
indicating a mixture of similarity and dissimilarity. The prototypical cult member was judged
to be a person who was: ―vulnerable‖ (63%) ―lonely‖ (60%) ―weak‖ (63%) ―foolish‖
(54%) ―dependent (54%) ―depressed‖ (53%) ―stupid‘ (40%) ―irresponsible‖ (38%)
―crazy‖ (36%) fishy‖ (34%), and ―immature‖ (31%). The most extreme positive
descriptors given as characteristic of a cult member were: ―friendly‖ (27%) ―honest‖
(18%), and ―clean‖ (17%)
What do these students believe to be the primary purposes of cult groups? Positive
purposes are reported by only a minority of the subjects. Among them, in order of
decreasing frequency, are-. ―to protest against social injustice‖ (39%) ―to encourage
personal development of members‖ (35%) ―to improve the world‖ (30%) ―to provide a

Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 1985, Page 67
place to live‖ (25%) ―to provide a finer, purer physical and moral environment‖ (21%) ―to
lessen cultural differences‖ (19%) ―to provide an alternative to employment and dead-end
jobs‖ (19%), and ―to strengthen the American family (13%). Many more respondents
believed cults had negative purposes. The three major purposes perceived by these high
school students were self-serving: ―to recruit new members‖ (75%) ―to make members
totally dependent on the group‖ (70%), and ―to raise money‖ (66%). Other negative goals
attributed to cults were: ―to ensure a source of power for the few in charge‖ (51%) ―to
destroy individual freedom‖ (37%) ―to rule the world‖ (37%), and ―to destroy the American
family‖ (29%). Three percent added on a fill-in open response that ―brainwashing‖ was a
primary purpose of cults.
These negative views are less likely to be the result of personal experience than of mediated
experience derived from the mass media. There is little overall difference in the negative
stereotype of cults held by those who have never had any contact with a cult recruiter and
those who have. When media exposure is analyzed, we find students reporting that the
information they received was disproportionately negative. Radio, TV, newspapers, and
magazines are each perceived by about three-fourths of the respondents as providing
negative information on cults. Only 11% to 14% of the students report getting some
positive information from any of these sources. Incidentally, the entire sample is one that is
highly exposed to media input. Radio is listened to daily by about 91% of the students, and
at least once/twice a week by the rest. Next most exposure is to TV, which is viewed daily
by 67% of the students, and at least once/twice a week by another 33%. Fifty-one percent
report reading a newspaper daily, while another third say they read a paper once/twice a
week. Magazines are read daily by 14% of the sample, and once/twice a week by an
additional 86% of the students.
A smaller number of students reported receiving knowledge about cults from direct
experience. Sixteen said they were currently members of a cult, while 15 more reported
being ex-members. Information on cults was also said to come from ex-cult members (N =
73, 62% of it negative), from cult members (N =104, 61% of it positive), a friend or
relative (N =293, 59% of it negative), a lecture or discussion at school (N =318, 70% of it
negative). Thus from both mediated and direct channels of communication, students get a
largely negative characterization of cults.
Student Predispositons
Assessment of type and extent of religious practices and spiritual/mystical experiences was
determined by a check list that inquired how of ten each of a number of events or activities
had been engaged in by the student. Table 2 summarizes these data on religious practices.