You know what they say—nobody likes a gossip. But what if there’s more merit to spilling the tea than you thought? According to a study from the Computational Social Affective Neuroscience Laboratory (COSAN) of Dartmouth, gossip isn’t just normal. It may be a form of gossip. GoodFor us.
And no, this isn’t just us talking smack.
Highlights of the Study
The 2021 Dartmouth StudyThese are the main points.
- “Gossip is a multi-faceted behavior that reflects multiple social functions.”
- “Gossip facilitates learning from others when direct observation is not possible.”
- “Gossip builds social connections and aligns social impressions and behavior.”
- “Gossip increases cooperative group behavior in public goods games.”
So, the real question is—How?
Gossip encompasses more than you think
First things first, let’s discuss what gossip Actually is. According to general social expectations, gossip is low-brow, negative and mostly female-driven. Maybe that’s not your style. Perhaps you are more of a gossiper than you realize.
Published research in Social Psychology and Personality SciencesIt was found that 14% of daily conversations are classified as gossip in 2019. The gossip is also more common. “neutral, rather than positive or negative, and about social information,” the study’s abstract reads. “These naturalistic observation findings dispel some stereotypes about this prevalent yet misunderstood behavior.”
Some gossip is not as simple as two Nosy Nellies laughing in the corner. You can have water cooler chat, private Zoom meetings between coworkers or quick exchanges on social media.
Understanding The Gossip Games
Assuming you’re not spreading malicious, false rumors or purposefully belittling someone to gain social status, gossip has an important role in everyday life. COSAN demonstrated this by playing a simple public good game.
The game consisted of 10 rounds played in six-person teams. Each round, players received $10 and had the option to keep or invest it in a group fund. The total savings are then divided equally between the players.
This game naturally creates tension between selfish and co-operative players. Researchers could either reduce or increase tension by permitting (or banning) teammates to observe the behavior of their fellow players. Only a few teammates were allowed to engage in group play in cases where this was forbidden.
Gossip vs. No Gossip
When researchers restricted players’Access to information about their teammates, spontaneous conversations between teammates occurred more frequently. “Participants relied on second-hand information from their partners to stay informed about other people’s behavior, illustrating how gossip enables individuals to learn from the experiences of others when direct observation is not feasible,” a Media release states.
Conversely, “when players could directly observe all of their group members, they tended to chit-chat and discussed a wider array of topics.”Participants who had a conversation with each other felt more connected after the game. They also shared similar ideas with their teammates.
This phenomenon shows another side of gossip: “By exchanging information with others, gossip is a way of forming relationships. It involves trust and facilitates a social bond that is reinforced as further communication takes place,”Luke Chang, COSAN director, explains.
Gossip: The glue that holds us all together
The study’s media release explains that in a typical public goods game, players contribute less over time. They would rather keep their money for themselves than donating it to the team fund.
“However, in this study, cooperation declined less over time when players could privately communicate. Communication increased collective cooperation.”Even though some players were uncooperative, gossip was the glue that kept the team together.
The study revealed that gossip has a consistent role in creating gossip. “shared reality in which friends and colleagues find common bonds, establish alliances, exchange personal information, and discuss the behavior of others to establish a consensus of socially acceptable behavior.”
Gossip’s Positive Side
This study could be misconstrued, to be fair. The COSAN’s findings don’t give you the green light to run someone’s name in the mud. The COSAN’s findings do suggest that the mostly harmless conversations you have with your coworker or friend can be beneficial. These conversations could actually be beneficial for you, strengthening your social expectations, and even teaching you.
There are also delicate social constructs to consider—this Instagram post from the Reductress comes to mind.
If a non-marginalized person starts talking about marginalized people, it can blur the line between positive and negative gossip. Unchecked microaggressions could quickly turn a conversation into slander.
But otherwise, don’t be afraid to gab a bit. This type of chit chat has a lot to offer social purpose and benefits, according to the scuttlebutt.