Antecedents & Consequences of Gossip : A Social Network Approach

Abstract: Gossip constitutes a form of human communication consisting of the transmission of evaluative information about absent others. Previous research has associated the usage of gossip with outcomes at both the individual and the group levels. Such outcomes include, among other things, the delimitation of group boundaries, the ostracism of wrong-doers, effects on job performance, or feelings of social inclusion. Despite all this, there are conflicting views and an overall lack of research regarding how gossip affects — and is affected by — one’s and others’ relationships and, consequently, the evolution of a social network. Using social network data from high schools and firms, the purpose of this thesis is to shed light on gossip’s relational antecedents and consequences.Four chapters compose this thesis. Chapter 1 (the “kappa”) provides the reader with an introduction to the study of gossip, the research problem, the theoretical and methodological approaches used, and the contributions and limitations of this thesis. In Chapter 2 (with Dorottya Kisfalusi and Károly Takács), I examine how antipathies contribute to negative gossip in high school classrooms. Results show that one’s and friends’ antipathies favour gossip independently, supporting the hypothesis that discrepancies between the sender and the receiver in how they relate to the target are resolved in gossip. Chapter 3 (with Károly Takács) centres on the distinctive contribution of employees whose networks span different groups. Results reveal that “network brokers” send positive and negative forms of gossip, but also are the targets of their colleagues’ negative talk. Finally, Chapter 4 (with Rafael Wittek, Francesca Giardini, Lea Ellwardt and Robert Krause) examines the impact of the reputations heard in gossip on the evolution of friendship relationships among employees. Results reveal weak reputational effects but disclose that negative information decay in value if overused.