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CHICAGO--Think a little gossip is harmless? Beware: new research says gossiping can be a form of warfare in which information is used as a weapon that could potentially damage a competitor's reputation. An effective defense, according to the study released here last week   at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists: friends.

Study author Nicole Hess, an evolutionary psychologist at Washington State University in Vancouver, says she instructed 500 subjects to imagine that they were competing for a promotion within a corporation.  She then had them read a list of positive and negative statements, or “gossip,” about their rival for the promotion, and asked them how likely they would be to relay each tidbit to others in the office.

Hess found that participants tended to spread more of the negative comments when she raised the stakes  by increasing the salary or decreasing the number of promotions available. But, she says, they were less likely to denigrate their competitor when  told their opponent had a pal in the company.

In addition to supporting the idea that people use gossip strategically, Hess's findings indicate that having an ally within the community deters negative gossip.  The reason, she speculates: your friend will be in the know and may be able to help you use retaliatory gossip to thwart attacks. (The protective effect of having an ally in the office did not result from making the competitor seem more likeable: participants did not hold back on spreading nasty gossip when they were told that a rival had a friend in the neighborhood, rather than in the office.)

Scientists have theorized that women dish more than men do, but Hess found that the sexes were equally willing to badmouth to get a leg up on the competition. She therefore suspects that a tendency to gossip depends more on the situation than on the gender of the busybody. It may be, however, that women more often than men find themselves in situations in which gossiping pays off.

Hess surmises that informational warfare may be more effective in intra-group competitions, whereas physical warfare works better between groups. If so, and if, as some research suggests, women face more competition within groups than men do, then women "should be more inclined to gossip competitively about group members," she says.

One reason women may experience more competition within groups, she says, is because in many societies they are more likely to join their mate's group when they marry – and may then have to compete with women in that new group.

Image courtesy of bobbieo via iStockphoto

4 Comments

1. 1. jamerz3294 05:30 PM 4/9/09

   Information warfare at it's finest!

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2. 2. Nathaniel 11:14 PM 4/9/09

   The solution to this is to be entirely honest with everyone. If everyone knows the same information, then no one can use it against you. I practice this as much as I can. I am open and honest with everyone about every aspect of my life. I am entirely comfortable talking to my boss, coworkers, friends, family, or even strangers about the most embarrassing moments, the worst things I've ever done, how much debt I'm in, my shortcomings, my triumphs, my dreams, my fears, all of it. I operate with complete honesty. If a subject comes up, I do not pull punches or attempt to protect myself.
   
   It has some very interesting consequences. Some find it rude and are made uncomfortable by it. Most find it entirely flattering that I trust them with such information. The biggest advantage is when someone gossips about me to another and their response is "I know, he doesn't exactly hide that fact." The gossiper is entirely defeated.
   
   In the business world for instance, if a company makes a mistake and then comes right out and tells everyone "we made this mistake and are making an effort to correct it." it comes across very well from a PR standpoint and no one can use that mistake against them. However, if they attempt to cover it up, they are certainly going to face a huge PR backlash if that information gets out. The first situation does not even allow gossip to operate, the second allows it to thrive.
   
   Open honesty defeats gossip every time.

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3. 3. Julia 10:17 AM 4/10/09

   I think what you are saying is very true Nathaniel, yet there is such a thing as honest gossip. From a working woman's perspective; there are definitely situations in the office that cannot be talked about out loud (i.e. which men one may want to avoid for certain reasons, especially if those men can make decisions that affect one's employment) The most discreet and protective way to share this information is to "gossip" with girlfriends. It helps us girls put on a unified front when faced with a potentially disasterous situation.

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4. 4. eco-steve 06:49 PM 4/13/09

   We should not forget that 'gossip' was originally 'Godship'. The duty of a christian as described by Christ was to bring the black sheep back into the fold, using the 'cross', which was not a crucifix but a crozier. The sinner should be brought back onto the straight and narrow road. To do this the community should report all erratic behaviour to the bishop, using 'Gossip'. So gossip was originally a benevolent practice vital for the saving of souls if it were not misused. But the original sense of the word has deviated, as today gossip is often equated with spreading slander.

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