The most common definition of gossiping is sharing information about others who are absent. It is pretty common and often considered trivial, but its effects can be far-reaching.
What makes gossiping so appealing?
Gossip is a complex social phenomenon that serves several functions in everyday conversation. Here are four main functions of gossip:
1. Information Sharing. Gossip often involves sharing information about others and helping individuals stay informed about what is happening in their social circles. Gossip can be a way to share news, updates, or personal experiences that may interest others.
2. Social Bonding. Gossip can strengthen social bonds by creating a sense of shared knowledge or understanding within a group. Sharing personal or sensitive information in a gossip-like manner can establish trust between individuals as it signals openness and transparency.
3. Social Regulation. Gossip can be a tool for enforcing social norms and expectations. By discussing others’ behavior, individuals reinforce or challenge societal standards. In this way, gossip can be a form of social control, discouraging behavior perceived as deviating from accepted norms.
4. Entertainment. Gossip often contains elements of entertainment. It can be engaging and enjoyable, providing individuals with a form of amusement in everyday conversations. Gossip can take the form of storytelling, making conversations more exciting and captivating, though often at another’s expense.
Although gossipers are often viewed as unethical, less educated, and typically female, a study by Robbins and Karan (2019) found no significant differences in the characteristics of those who gossip more than others across everyday contexts. They used data from five naturalistic observation studies (N = 467) to examine who gossips and how. All participants wore an Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), which gathered acoustic samples over 2-5 days and completed demographics and personality questionnaires. The sound files were coded for gossip, valence (positive, negative, neutral), subject (acquaintance or celebrity), and topic (social information, physical appearance, or achievement). The researchers found that frequent gossipers tended to be more extroverted. Women engaged in more neutral gossip than men, and younger people tended to gossip negatively more than older people. In general, the gossip tended to be neutral about social information rather than positive or negative. In fact, 74.3% of all sampled gossip in the study was neutral, meaning not positively or negatively evaluative. These findings from naturalistic observations suggest that gossip is important in sharing information and is not always intended to be harmful or tear others down.
According to more recent research, if the information being shared is based on truth, it can have a positive effect on our relationships with others. For instance, it can be an excellent way to judge another’s trustworthiness. Suppose someone shares false information about a third party for personal benefit. In that case, the listener might be able to detect the lies and distrust the liar. Alternatively, sharing accurate information about a third party could improve trust between individuals by promoting and sustaining group cooperation and teamwork.
Using a simplified mathematical model, an international team of researchers explored when gossip is likely to be honest and dishonest and how those scenarios ultimately play out for everyone involved. The researchers simulated gossip as a triangle: the gossiper, the recipient, and the third person being talked about while not present. The model explored four different social interactions using games that captured possible repercussions of gossiping — that is, whether the exchange benefited the person who heard the gossip, whomever it was about, or if it was costly to either one or both. The researchers wanted to see whether gossipers would spread honest or false statements to maximize their benefit without costing their reputation.
In general, they found that gossipers were honest when they shared a goal with the other two parties, which intertwined their success (or failure), for example, working as teammates. But when their goals were mismatched, such as competing with the person for a promotion, they were much more likely to lie. So, situations in which one’s failure meant another’s success were more likely to lead to dishonest or negative gossip to harm the other.
Peters and Fonseca (2020) tested this hypothesis directly by examining the frequency and form of spontaneous lies shared between gossiping members of networks playing a series of trust games (N = 320). They manipulated whether gossipers were competing with each other or not. They found that lies made up a sizeable minority of messages and were twice as frequent when gossipers were in competition.
Negative and false information can harm the subject’s reputation and the gossiper’s if they are caught in a lie. Individuals who engage in gossip may experience stress and anxiety, especially if they feel guilty or fearful of being caught spreading false information. A study by Cole and Scrivener (2013) found that engaging in negative gossip in a lab setting reduced the self-esteem of the gossiper. Past research finds that negative gossipers are often disliked by others.
Thus, gossip is an essential vehicle for social sharing, bonding, and understanding social norms. Keeping it accurate and positive has significant benefits for everyone.
Copyright 2023 Tara Well, Ph.D.
References
Baumeister, R. F., Zhang, L., & Vohs, K. D. (2004). Gossip as cultural learning. Review of General Psychology, 8, 111–121.
Cole, J. M., Scrivener, H. (2013). Short Term Effects of Gossip Behavior on Self-Esteem. Current Psychology, 32, 252–260.
Dunbar, R. I. M. (2004). Gossip in evolutionary perspective. Review of General Psychology, 8, 100–110.
Farley, S. D. (2011). Is gossip power? The inverse relationships between gossip, power, and likability. European Journal of Social Psychology, 41, 574–579.
Fine, G. A., & Rosnow, R. L. (1978). Gossip, gossipers, gossiping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 4, 161–168.
Peters, K., & Fonseca, M. A. (2020). Truth, Lies, and Gossip. Psychological Science, 31(6), 702-714.
Wu, et al. (2021). Honesty and dishonesty in group strategies: A fitness interdependence analysis. Philosophical Transaction of The Royal Society for Biological Sciences.
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