An Empirical Validation of the Psychological Anatomy of Gossip

Abstract

This study validates the theory on the psychological anatomy of gossip. A person’s inclination to gossip is tested and validated in relation to one’s self-concept and anxiety level. Utilizing researcher-developed questionnaires and employing regression analysis, this paper tested the relationship between a person’s self- concept and anxieties with one’s propensity to gossip. The results of this study supported our three hypotheses: (1) that a person’s self-concept is inversely related to one’s anxieties, (2) that a person’s self-concept is inversely related to one’s propensity to gossip, and (3) a person’s anxiety is directly related to one’s tendency to gossip.

Keywords

• self-concept
• anxiety
• gossip
• communication