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Gossip as a Strategy to Compete for Resources
Dr. Nicole Hess (Washington State University)

Abstract: We investigate causal relationships among gossip, reputations, giving and receiving resources, and competition over resources. Evolutionary research aimed at uncovering the function(s) of gossip has found that some aspects of gossip behavior correlate with some kinds of cooperation. For example, we tend to share more gossip with those with whom we have close relationships, such as friends and romantic partners. However, few studies have explored the causal nature of links between between strategic, competitive gossip and how it impacts the distribution of benefits in groups, and almost no studies have been conducted in small scale societies. Here, working with Aka hunter-gatherers and Ngandu horticulturalists in the Central African Republic, as well as an international online sample, we use observational and experimental methods to investigate causal relationships among gossip and resource allocation. We look at how gossip impacts participants’ tendencies to allocate resources, and then at how competition over resources impacts participants’ tendencies to transmit gossip. We found clear evidence that gossip intensifies when there is competition for resources, and that gossip alters reputations, thereby impacting the receipt of benefits. We show that gossip relevance and valence impact how participants allocate resources. When participants themselves are competing over resources, the nature of the gossip they transmit is impacted by the value and scarcity of the contested resources.