By Stefan Anitei, Science Editor Softpedia  Photo: Principessa

Now, after many researches have revealed that men gossip just as much as women do, a research made at the Department of Media and Communication of the University of Leicester by Dr. Charlotte De Backer has also proved the reasons behind it as well as a pattern of this habit.

Women were found to gossip on other women more than men did, and the physical aspect was the main issue of their gossip, while men gossiped more about women than about men, and in this case it was also about the looks. For men and women alike, when it came to the gossip on men, wealth status was the main topic of interest.

Surprisingly enough, people already committed in relationships gossiped as much as the bachelors did, being eager to hear gossip about potential romantic partners.

The study, made on 84 Belgian undergraduate students, clearly shows that the gossip's main function is to assess a man's or a woman's value as a potential partner.

"Gossip is present in everyone's life, almost everyone gossips -some more than others of course-, and we all become subject of gossip at some point. Gossip is no idle chatter: it has clear functions, as previous researchers have shown -and this is an extra study that reveals the function of gossip in every day life. We had expected that respondents who reported being in a relationship would not be as interested in gossip about potential future romantic partners, but our results show that they are as interested as the respondents who reported being single.", said De Backer.

Researches clearly showed that men are interested in the women's physical appearance, while women are interested in the men's status.

"We also expected that girls overall might show a greater interest in gossip, and remember more gossip, but our study shows that boys are as interested when it concerns gossip about potential romantic partners. This does imply that girls are more likely to be gossiped about than boys. It shows that both sexes have an interest in learning about potential mates, regardless of their relationship status. It also showed us that girls might be more interested in gossip about other girls than boys are interested in gossip about other boys." added De Becker.

"Our results also clearly suggest that relationship status has a negligible effect. In light of research on infidelity and mate poaching, which remain threats to individuals who are involved in long-term relationships, this lack of an effect is to be expected. Moreover, studies on jealousy have shown that both men and women are aware of the existence of infidelity and mate poaching, and thus they actively maintain their relationships." she explained.

The research matches the results of previous researches showing that people involved in relationships are somehow aware of individuals who could be potential mates for their partners and perceive them as threats. "This awareness may direct one's attention to the forms of gossip that can function as critical sources of relevant, mating-related, information." said De Becker.

She is now investigating the role played by celebrity gossip in society. "I believe celebrity gossip replaces interpersonal gossip for a great deal. Celebrity gossip is becoming the new social cement of our societies. We might not have mutual acquaintances to gossip about, but we all 'know' Paris, Britney, Madonna and The Beckhams to gossip about.", she said.