RESEARCH_FILE
Megan L. Robbins
University of California, Riverside
Known for:Naturalistic observation of everyday speech with the Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR), including the largest field study of who gossips and how
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“I'm just listening — that's not gossiping”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I can stay in the room without helping this part along.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Open your recent messages or mental replay from the last social hangout and write three words for what you actually did: listened, nodded, joked, changed the subject, stayed quiet. Do not judge it; just name it.
Key findings
- 2019
Across five naturalistic studies (467 participants wearing portable recorders), gossip — talk about absent people — averaged about 52 minutes a day, and about 75% of the 4,003 recorded instances were neutral in tone, versus roughly 15% negative and 10% positive. Who Gossips and How in Everyday Life? ↗
- 2019
Extraverts gossiped more than introverts; women did more neutral, information-sharing gossip than men but showed no evidence of more negative gossip; and younger people gossiped more negatively than older adults — undercutting the gendered stereotype of the malicious gossip. Who Gossips and How in Everyday Life? ↗