Overview

• In a sample of 76 couples, wearable audio devices captured daily interactions and showed that partners spent about 29 to 38 minutes each day gossiping together.
• Gossip was defined broadly as any discussion about individuals not physically present, including positive, neutral, and negative remarks.
• Couples who engaged in more frequent gossip reported higher relationship satisfaction alongside increases in trust and emotional connectedness.
• Same-sex couples, especially woman-woman pairs, registered the greatest amount of gossip and scored highest on measures of happiness and bond strength.
• The study’s findings align with earlier research on gossip’s social functions, from childhood rumor experiments to University of New Mexico work demonstrating that a concerned tone boosts gossiper trustworthiness.