Why gossiping with your partner could be key to a healthy relationship
The key to a happy relationship? Expert’s new finding will surprise you
- New research suggests that gossiping with a romantic partner can significantly contribute to relationship happiness and bonding.
- The study, conducted by the University of California, analysed conversations from 76 couples, finding that participants spent an average of 29 minutes daily gossiping with their partner.
- Published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the research indicates that couples' gossip is strongly linked to happiness and, to a lesser extent, relationship quality.
- Researchers propose that sharing gossip reinforces the perception that partners are 'on the same team', enhancing feelings of connectedness, trust, and other positive relationship qualities.
- This finding builds on previous work that dispelled common myths about gossip, including that women do not engage in negative gossip more than men.