Science
The advantages of being a gossip according to a study by Stanford University
According to a study conducted by Stanford University and the University of Maryland, gossiping could be provide a benefit among social circles.
Although gossiping usually has a negative connotation, some claim this practice is part of human evolution. According to historian Esther Eidinow, gossip is a habit that has made it possible to understand humanity as it is today.
This hypothesis was supported by the universities of Maryland and Stanford, which claim that people who gossip have an advantage over people who do not share information about third parties.
“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," explains Dana Nau, one of the study’s co-authors.
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What other benefits does gossip have?
According to this study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, gossip goes beyond social interactions. Aside from providing social benefits, this practice also has an effect on human memory.
“Gossipmongers have an evolutionary advantage that perpetuates the gossip cycle and provides a useful service to listeners... We tell stories from the emotional state we are in at that moment," states the study.
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“This means that I tell something to a friend with my current emotional state, and he or she then adds his or her own humor or a bit of spice.”
The researchers believe gossip can also improve people’s behavior. They found that those who receive information about other people are deterred from acting selfishly because they themselves don’t want to be the subject of future gossip.
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