I'll tell you a secret …
Gossipers are all without exception. Psychologists from the University of California (University of California, Riverside – UC Riverside) were convinced of this, who discovered that in conversations with each other, people will certainly discuss someone from among those who are not around. At least somehow, they will respond – positively, negatively or neutrally. And then they will thoroughly “wash the bones” for him or her. At least there were no others among the volunteers who took part in the experiments, which were arranged by Professor Megan Robbins (Megan Robbins) and her graduate student Alexander Karan (Alexander Karan).
Scientists analyzed the content of the conversations. To do this, they equipped 467 people – 269 women and 198 men – with miniature recording devices called the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR).
Megan and Alexander brought out gossip in their conversations. We identified 4003 pieces. Which made up about 14 percent of all the topics covered. And it allowed us to conclude: gossip is by no means the main thing in communication. But also not entirely secondary: on average, they take a total of 52 minutes in a 16-hour day.
Other eavesdropping results suggest that people are not as angry as they might seem. Gossip. But they speak mostly neutral about the absentees. Or even positively.
Scientists have counted about 3 thousand neutral gossips, positive – 376, negative – 604. So, almost 6 to 1 – such are the chances that people far and close will remember you with a kind word, and not mix with dirt.
By the way, gossip, as they say, about people of their circle turned out to be the most numerous – 3500 pieces. Celebrities were discussed much less often – less than 400 times in all experiments.
It turned out to be a myth that there is a widespread worldwide belief that representatives of the older generation – for example, the notorious pensioners on the benches at the porches – are the main gossips. Not at all. The youth surpass them. Especially in terms of evil judgments.
There are approximately equal numbers of gossips among men and women. The fair sex comes forward only when they start talking about someone in a neutral sense.
The rich and the poor, the educated and the ignorant, gossip alike. And if so, then such a widespread “habit” is simply obliged to give some advantages. They were finally found.
Rumored and reliably
Eshin Jolly and Luke Chang, American neuroscientists from the Computational Social Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at Dartmouth College, organized online gambling – for research purposes, of course. Players – each of the six who participated in one of the 10 rounds, were given $ 10. The recipient could immediately appropriate the entire amount. And he could invest in a “group fund” – in part or in whole. In each round, the organizers of the game increased the “invested” money by one and a half times and divided it equally among all investors.
Players were allowed to exchange messages – that is, gossip, expressing their own attitude towards the tactics of rival partners and listening to the opinions of others. At the same time, the gossipers did not see those about whom they spread rumors – they spoke, as they say, behind the eyes. As often happens in real life.
Material result: those players who gossiped more actively, “earned” more less sociable – especially secretive.
Social outcome: people who exchanged opinions during the game – even remotely, showed investment collectivism, felt like a kind of close-knit group and trusted each other more than those who preferred to remain silent and behaved selfishly. That is, they did not share their 10 dollars with any fund.
The general takeaway from Ashley and Luke in Current Biology is that gossip is a rich source of information and helps to navigate the social environment.
It turns out that gossiping is at least not shameful.
WEAK LINK
The woman will disclose the received confidential information in two days.
A married friend of mine had an intimate relationship with his colleague. Naturally, I did not tell anyone about this. However, after a few days, everyone in the office knew the secret. Where, one wonders?
The answer to this almost rhetorical question was given at one time by British researchers. They conducted an anonymous survey among the fair sex between the ages of 18 and 65. And they found out: 40 percent of them, having become the owners of a secret, blur it out immediately. Without delay. First of all, they inform close people – friends and mothers. And if they drink, then unfamiliar people.
The other 60 percent last longer. But no more than two days – more precisely 47 hours 15 minutes. Then they blur it out again. Sometimes, however, not the whole secret, but only part of it.
Another feature: women willingly distribute confidential information that concerns third parties. For example, they reveal the secrets of people with whom their “recipients” are not familiar. This is explained by the fact that “they cannot carry such a heavy burden.” Well, for example: “Here we have one woman at work, so she sleeps with the chief accountant.”
Two-thirds of those surveyed feel guilty about blabbering. The rest are enjoying themselves. Or they don't feel anything. A third report that they quickly forget about what they have told.
As it was found out, on average, every woman becomes the owner of three secrets per week. And gives them to at least one person. After that, according to mathematicians, it takes no more than three days for the secret to spread among all colleagues. Regardless of their number.
Italian researchers from the University of Pavia recently discovered that the basis of female revelation is biochemical. And the pleasure from him is close to sexual.
The experiments, organized by Dr Natascia Brondino, demonstrated that in the process of divulging secrets, the level of oxytocin, the hormone of love and affection, which, among other things, gives rise to sexual fantasies, contributes to the achievement of extreme pleasure, enhances it and pushes to new pleasures …
Not surprisingly, “abstinence” is painful and does not last long.
