25 November 2021
The word gossip often has a negative connotation. That was also the case for social psychologist Terence Dores Cruz when starting his PhD project. His research now also sheds light on a positive side about chitchat about others. In an interview with Het Parool (in Dutch), Terence Dores Cruz discusses how gossip in everyday life can function to promote cooperation.
Terence Dores Cruz, PhD candidate in the Force of Gossip, discussed his research on how gossip in everyday life could serve to communicate information important to understand others' trustworthiness, how people largely believe such information, and that they use that information to form and update reputations that guide whether people cooperate with or avoid people in their social network. The interview was conducted by Eline Kraaijenvanger for Het Parool. Read the interview (in Dutch) here.
The interview was also published in the New Scientist (in Dutch)
The interview was also published on Humo.be (in Dutch)