As social creatures, we are programmed to connect. And sometimes, gossip can provide us with a sense of togetherness that we all attract, regardless of whether the conversation is positive or negative. Some experts view gossip as evidence of cultural learning, in which we learn what is socially acceptable and what is not. Some researchers argue that gossip helped our ancestors survive.
Evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar pioneered this idea, comparing gossip with primate grooming as a means of creating emotional bonds. Instead of tearing away the fleas and dirt from each other to create links, Ludden explains, we now talk, which is “where gossip comes in, because talks mainly talk about other people and transmit social information. Matthew Feinberg, lead author of the study and a social psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, said: “We shouldn't feel guilty for gossiping if gossip helps prevent them from taking advantage of other people. In a study published earlier this year in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, 467 adults used electronic recorders for two to five days, which collected samples of their verbal conversations during that time period.
