Studyfinds.org compiles information about the latest scientific studies. Three days ago the site shared information about a Dartmouth College study on the dynamics of gossip published in Current Biology.
The article, by Chris Melore, is entitled "Spread the word! Gossip can actually be good for you, Dartmouth researchers say".
The authors behind the study call gossip "rich, multifaceted communication".
According to Melore:
Study authors find “baseless trash talk” is not the sole purpose of gossip. It can also create a “shared reality” where friends and colleagues build social bonds, exchange information, and reach agreements on socially acceptable behavior.
So the conclusion is that gossip can bring the gossiper social benefits.
I do not doubt this is true but it seems a bit of a stretch to proceed to a conclusion that gossip is good, since this key question remains unaddressed: What is the spiritual cost to the gossiper?
Still unknown, too, is what sort of damage gossip does to the one being gossiped about.
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