Researchers asked 1,000 participants to read positive or negative stories about other people and then evaluate their own feelings.
Results showed that positive stories often inspired self-improvement, while negative ones encouraged self-reflection, highlighting personal weaknesses and preventative measures.
90% of participants reported feeling happier after gossiping.
The scientists, led by Professor Elena Martinescu, cautioned that while gossiping offers psychological benefits, shared information requires careful consideration to avoid spreading falsehoods and causing harm.
Professor Martinescu also noted that rumors are inevitable. Instead of avoidance, people should accept and share information cautiously.
This research is considered a significant step towards understanding the positive and negative aspects of rumors in social relationships.
While gossip can bring joy, shared information still needs to be carefully chosen.
A report from Dartmouth College (USA) noted that gossiping helps build relationships and strengthens social bonds. For example, in public games, those who shared information often rated their partners higher and formed deeper trust.
Research from Binghamton University (USA) with 338 healthcare workers in South Korea showed that positive gossip about the organization or leaders reduced the intention to quit and increased work efficiency.
A 2019 analysis in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science indicated that people spend an average of 52 minutes per day gossiping, of which 75% is neutral, 15% negative, and 9% positive.
Robin Dunbar, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Oxford (UK), suggests that gossip is a verbal form of bonding and care, similar to physical grooming in primates.
"This helps build networks and maintain long-term relationships, thereby strengthening social unity," he said.
Meanwhile, Matthew Feinberg, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto (Canada), points out that gossip discourages selfish behavior and promotes adherence to social norms.
"Knowing they could become the subject of gossip, people tend to behave more cooperatively and transparently, maintaining order within the group," he said. According to Feinberg, sharing stories about others helps individuals identify trustworthy and untrustworthy people. It's also an evolutionary survival strategy that fosters community bonding and vigilance against threats.
The University of Groningen study also found that men gossip more than women but are worse at keeping secrets.
In a survey of over 2,000 Britons, women kept secrets for about 3.5 hours, while men divulged them in under three hours. 10% of men revealed secrets in under 10 minutes. Yet, 92% of men still considered themselves good secret keepers.
Ngoc Ngan (Yourtango)
