Men Love Gossip More Than Women

Men gossip more than women, males love to gossip, what men gossip about


It’s official.  Contrary to widely held opinion, men gossip more than women.  But what do they gossip about?

In a study presented at the American Psychological Society’s annual conference, Holly Hom of the University of Virginia claimed men indulge in gossip about secret liaisons, inept lovers and overpaid colleagues.  She said both sexes enjoyed passing on mischievous information about others,  but  - perhaps surprisingly - men enjoyed it more.
 
Gossiping, it appears,  helps boost their mens’ confidence.   Women are more inclined to indulge in tittle-tattle to bond with their friends and colleagues.

Said Hom: "We found that men felt better about themselves when they criticised another person's behaviour. It gave them a sense of moral superiority and showed others that they knew the difference between right and wrong."

She added that rather than creating problems in the office, gossip often relieved the stress of long hours and arduous work.

"It's a vital function of social inter-action. Often it helps to break the ice among people."

The findings parallel a study by the Industrial Society that said gossip should be encouraged in the office by providing more communal areas in the workplace.

Prof Nigel Nicholson, a psychologist at the London Business School and the author of a book on human behaviour, Managing the Human Animal, said:

"Men enjoy a gossip as much as women, but they call it networking instead."

Source:  The Telegraph