![]() Understanding the dynamics of competitive gossip may also give us insight into related social phenomena such as how people use social media such as Facebook and why males and females often have such different entertainment tastes when it comes to movies and television. I review the evidence that women are more likely than men to use gossip in an aggressive, competitive manner, with the goal being to exclude competitors from their social group and damage the competitor’s ability to maintain a reliable social network of her own. It will be argued that an interest in the affairs of same-sex others is especially strong among females, and that this is not always benign. Special attention will be given to the affinity between women and gossip and its place in female competition. In this chapter, I take the position that gossip is an evolutionary adaptation that enabled our prehistoric ancestors to be socially successful, and I will explore the complicated roles played by gossip in human social life. However, gossip can also be a positive force in the life of groups, as it is a tool that bonds group members together while enforcing cooperation and conformity to group norms. Gossip is the weapon of choice in the indirect relationship aggression that occurs among women.
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