Boosting our self esteem: A need to gossip - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Boosting our self esteem: A need to gossip

Kristine Barnes-Meyers

Dawn

MoharSlide2

Research Background

Gossip can be used to remind the group members that it is important to follow the group’s norms and values (

McAndrew

, Bell, & Garcia, 2007)

It has been shown that if any individual of a group steps out of line it can affect the group as a whole (

Hopman

&

Leeuwen

, 2009)

Gossip has been used to have a feeling of control and to manipulate and control others’ reputations (

McAndrew

, Bell, & Garcia, 2007; Watson &

MacEwan

, 2011)

Gossip is used as an evolutionary tool, to get rid of the weak individuals in order to strengthen the group as a whole (

McAndrew

, Bell, & Garcia, 2007)Slide3

Research Background (Cont.)

There are three major approaches to the gossip theory:

Sociological/anthropological – focuses on the group but states that the individual brings his own interests and needs

Social psychology – focuses on what the individual will gain from participating in gossip (status, power, entertainment)

Individual Approach – focuses on gossip as a reflection of the persons inner unconscious life. Considers gossip a defense mechanism

(Watson &

MacEwan

, 2011)Slide4

Previous Research Concludes…

People tend to care more about gossip that pertains to those of the same sex (

McAndrew

, Bell, & Garcia, 2007)

People tend to share gossip with their allies rather than non-allies

(

McAndrew

, Bell, & Garcia, 2007

)

A low status group will gossip more to the “in group” to be more loyal to the “in group” (

Hopman

&

Leeuwen

, 2009)

A high status group will gossip more to the “out-group” to be more loyal to the “in group” (

Hoppman

&

Leeuwen

, 2009)

Gossip is used by those with low self esteem and self efficacy in order to gain control, clarity, and power (Watson &

MacEwan

, 2011)

Gossip is a status enhancing mechanism (Watson &

MacEwan

, 2011)Slide5

Study Goals

Study the relationship between an individual’s self esteem and his/her likelihood to gossip.

Like previous research studies, our study will focus on the type of gossip that a person is most likely to share and with whom they are most likely to share it.

Unlike previous studies, our study will focus on how self esteem relates to the likelihood of an individual to gossip.

Most previous research focused on gossip as a way to move up the social ladder.Slide6

Hypothesis

Women with low self esteem gossip more than women with high self esteem.

Women with low self esteem will be more open to who they share gossip with whereas women with high self esteem will only gossip with their close friends.

Men are less likely to gossip regardless of their self-esteem level.Slide7

Target Population

Gwynedd-Mercy college students (undergraduate)

86 students took the survey

12 were discarded due to missing data

The remaining data included:

44

Female

30

Ma

le

Students from multiple majors

Criminal justice

Psychology

Nursing Slide8

Measures

Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale

10 statements about an individuals worth

Four rankings: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree

Three categories:

Love/relationships

Academic

Social

Each category will have three scenarios:

One outrageous scenario

One moderately scandalous scenario

One dull

scenario

Four

follow up questions

:

How likely are you to tell a friend?

How likely are you to tell many friends?

How likely are you to tell a rival?

How likely are you to tell a person of authority?Slide9

Scenarios…

Love/Relationships

You find out that someone is cheating on their significant other with a same sex partner

You witness someone you know cheating on their significant other.

You find out someone you know has recently started dating a new person.

Academic

You witness a student engaging in consensual inappropriate sexual behavior

with

a teacher to get good

grades.

You witness a person that you know cheating on a final exam.

You find out your friend was the only one to get a 4.0 in the class.

Social

You find out someone was kicked out of class because they were drinking alcohol out of a coffee cup in class.

You witness someone being bullied.

You witness college students drinking on campus.Slide10

Data Analysis

The average self-esteem scores were calculated for both groups (male and female)

The mean was discarded for each group in order to obtain a high and low self-esteem (10 discarded in total)

Average score for males was 15

Participants who had a score equal or less than 14 were in the high self-esteem group

Participants who had a score equal or greater than 16 were in the low self-esteem group

Average score for females was 17

Participants who had a score equal or less than

16

were in the high self-esteem group

Participants who had a score equal or greater than

18

were in the low self-esteem groupSlide11
Slide12
Slide13

Discussion

F

emales

with low self-esteem tend to gossip more than those with high

self-esteem

Men with low self esteem tend to gossip more than those with high self-esteem

Why?

Social statusSlide14

Limitations

A larger sample

Many of the participants were psychology students

The participants received both surveys at the same time

Future Direction

It would be interesting to conduct this research in a high school settingSlide15

References

Hopman

, P. &

Leeuwen

, E. V. (2009). Who d we inform? The role of status and target in intergroup whistle-blowing.

Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 12

(5), 605-618.

doi

10.1177/1368430209337472

McAndrew

, F. T., Bell, E. K., & Garcia, C. M. (2007). Who do we tell and whom do we tell on? Gossip as a strategy for status enhancement.

Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 37

(7), 1562-1577.

doi

10.1111/j.1559-1816.2007.00227.x

Watson, D. C. &

MacEwan

, G. (2011). Gossip and the self.

Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 41

(7), 1818-1833.

doi

10.1111/j.1559-1816.2011.00772.x