How does it feel when you come across a piece of news that makes your eyes roll, leaves you pleasantly surprised, and sometimes even lifts a little bit of the guilt you have been carrying around? Some of these findings are new while others have been around for years, but you might have never heard of them until now. So brace yourselves!
An interesting post pops up on one’s Instagram feed. It claims that gossiping can improve health and quality of life. The 2024 report is about research conducted by Stanford and University of Maryland researchers. “How can such a prestigious institution be wrong?” many may think. The piece of news is particularly welcome to someone who is a repository of gossip as it seems to validate their habit.
This is essentially what is happening these days. Sensational headlines on social media can take readers by storm, and the news is quickly circulated without anyone taking the time to look into the details of what the research actually established.
What research has to say about gossip!
The Stanford study did suggest that gossip may serve a beneficial social function, but it also emphasized that this depends on the information being “reliable”. The research further discussed how people may identify gossipers and behave more cautiously around them to avoid “becoming subject to the rumor mill”. Yet these important nuances are often eliminated or overlooked when the findings make their way to the general public. Importantly, this was a theoretical model, not an experiment demonstrating that gossip improves people’s health or quality of life.
An earlier 2017 study, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology and indexed in PubMed, found that oxytocin levels increased during a gossip conversation. The study involved just 22 female students, and the researchers described oxytocin; a hormone associated with social bonding, trust, and love; as a potential correlate of gossip. They did not conclude that gossip is medically beneficial.
And this is where the tone can change from one step to the next until the final message bears little resemblance to the original research. The problem begins when a research paper becomes a headline. The headline then becomes a social media post, and the post eventually turns into advice. Research may suggest that gossip has a social function and may affect certain physiological responses. But by the time it reaches social media, we may be left with a much more sensational message: “Science says gossip is good for you!”
How can we be sure about the validity of all studies?
The reliability of a study increases when it produces consistent and repeatable results under similar conditions. But reliability alone does not establish validity. A study can produce consistent results and still fail to measure what it claims to measure.
The sample size needs to be large enough to reduce the impact of random variation and outliers. The questions should be clear and non-suggestive, and the data-collection methods should be consistent so that every respondent is exposed to the same conditions. It is also important that when the same test is administered to the same group at different times, it produces similar results.
In the absence of such safeguards, it is reasonable to question how reliable the results of a survey really are.
Apparently, there’s a study for EVERYTHING!
It would be like opening a Pandora’s box to delve into the endless number of studies exploring human behavior and responses. So, let’s just take a peek at a few you may not have heard of. Some of the findings are intriguing; others are downright amusing.
- Messiness may encourage creativity. A well-known study led by psychologist Kathleen Vohs at the University of Minnesota found that people in a disorderly environment performed better on a particular creative task.
- Swearing may help us tolerate pain. Neuroscientist and researcher Emma Byrne explores the science behind bad language in her book Swearing Is Good for You: The Amazing Science of Bad Language.
- The smell of chocolate may influence book buying. Researchers led by Lieve Doucé of Belgium’s Hasselt University found that the scent of chocolate influenced customers’ purchasing behavior in a bookstore.
- Looking at cute things may improve performance. Hiroshi Nittono and his team at the University of Hiroshima found that viewing cute images not only elicited positive feelings but also improved performance on tasks requiring careful and precise behavior.
The Human Brain Is Smart Enough!
Why do we seem to need scientific approval for everything we do? Most of the time, our instincts, experiences, and common sense can guide us through our day-to-day lives.
For instance, why should we resort to gossip on the pretext that it might reduce cortisol? A warm, affectionate conversation can be just as comforting. Mindfulness meditation or a few deep-breathing exercises can go a long way towards easing stress. And gossip, as we have been reminded since childhood, can also be notorious for stirring up a hornet’s nest.
I certainly wouldn’t suggest that we discard scientific studies. They have an important place in helping us understand human behavior and the world around us. But perhaps we should also give our own thinking a chance. A little curiosity, a healthy dose of skepticism, and some common sense might be useful before we blindly accept yet another headline that begins with those now familiar words: “According to a new study…”
