Gossiping 'Plays an Important Role' in Society, Scientists Reveal

The act of gossiping could actually play an important role in society, scientists have suggested.

The research from the University of Maryland and Stanford, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that gossiping, though frowned upon in social settings, could provide a "social benefit."

To reach this conclusion, they used a computer simulation that mimicked real-life human decision-making, to answer their burning question: "How did gossiping evolve into such a popular pastime that transcends gender, age, culture and socioeconomic background?"

They then watched how the study subjects interacted with each other. These subjects were able to cooperate with gossipers or defect. They could also become the person gossiping. One thing the researchers were looking for was whether study subjects would use gossip as a tool to protect themselves, or whether to exploit others. By the end of the experiment, 90 percent had become gossipers themselves.

"One previous study shows that, on average, a person spends an hour per day talking about others, so this takes a lot of time out of our daily life," the study's first author Xinyue Pan, who published some of the research as part of her thesis, said in a summary of the findings. "That's why it's important to study it."

Other studies have also found that gossiping can be a bonding tool. However, the exact reason as to what gossipers gain has never been looked into thoroughly. The researchers suggest that people fall into gossiping with others because they want to protect themselves from also being subject to gossip.

Others participating in the gossiping can also serve as a reward to the initial gossiper, the researchers report. Because of their ability to influence others' behavior, gossipers may have an "evolutionary advantage."

So, while gossip is often frowned upon, the researchers stress that it can have a useful function, especially as some information passed on can be complimentary.

"When people are interested in knowing if someone is a good person to interact with, if they can get information from gossiping—assuming the information is honest—that can be a very useful thing to have," said study co-author Dana Nau, a retired professor in UMD's Department of Computer Science and Institute for Systems Research.

"If other people are going to be on their best behavior because they know that you gossip, then they're more likely to cooperate with you on things," Nau continued. "The fact that you gossip ends up providing a benefit to you as a gossiper. That then inspires others to gossip because they can see that it provides a reward."

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