Can Gossip Be a Good Thing?
Written by Trevor Eaton, Posted on , in Section Inspirational
One of the most often quoted lines from the movie Bambi comes from his little furry friend Thumper, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin' at all.” This advice has been given by mom’s for years, but is it good advice. New research published in the journal Psychological Science shows that gossip may have a benefit for society.
The Experiment
During the experiment 216 participants were divided into several groups and were given the task to make financial decisions that would benefit the group. After the first round of decisions were made, the teams were then rearranged to form completely new teams. Before the second round of decisions were made the teams were allowed to talk about those from their previous group. They could discuss who did a good job and who they felt were either free riding, or only worried about themselves. This information could then be used in future rounds when those that heard the information were put into new groups with those that were talked about.
What this did was allow people to know who they could trust, and who they couldn’t, it also helped to modify behavior. Those that were being discussed negatively began to notice subtle hints and would try to become more of a team player because of the feeling of not being included. This allowed groups to look out for one another and not be taken advantage of by a selfish individual that they hadn’t worked with before but had heard about their reputation. This sense of accountability is what kept the experiment in check because no one could slip under the radar anonymously.
This same problem exists on internet forums and boards, when there is no way to give accountability to the posters. People can go on there without anyone knowing who they are, and can even create multiple accounts and engage in that same antisocial behavior. This environment allows them to thrive with little repercussion of their actions.
What if it backfires?
This form of gossip can work well when the isolation of trouble maker's behavior is accomplished, but what if the tables were turned? What if the person spreading the gossip is the actual trouble maker and they begin to isolate the wrong person? The best way to combat this is by not believing in everything you hear. If someone comes and tells you something about someone just stick it on the shelf in the back of your mind until it can be confirmed or denied.
Gossip can quickly escalate to being a bully situation when it leads to teasing and complete ignoring and isolation. The purpose of this experiment was to show how to isolate the behavior, not the person. When people treat people as less than human then it turns from being a benefit to a problem. Don’t jump to conclusions, and get to know people’s reputations from first hand experience, just keep your guard up along the way.
