Gossiping behavior as a function of reported interpersonal skills in women

Gossiping is a special type of communication, particularly attributed to women and often with negative connotations. It continues to persist despite attempts to eliminate or control it. Understanding gossiping\u27s importance to women may lead to understanding why it persists. By means of a survey of 202 selected women, I attempted to relate gossiping behavior in women, as measured by Ruch\u27s Gossip Questionnaire, to self-reported interpersonal skills, as measured by the Interpersonal Check List. Cronbach\u27s alpha was computed to be.82, and item analysis was performed on Ruch\u27s Gossip Questionnaire. Several patterns were revealed in the results. Older women, who have lived in their community/area longer, gossiped slightly less than younger women, who were relatively new residents. The more women gossiped, the more they were moderately likely to describe themselves as distrustful and rebellious. Two demographics, age and length of residence in their community/area, were moderately and significantly related to the subjects\u27 responses on Ruch\u27s Gossip Questionnaire. Also five of the demographic variables--years of education, age, length of residence in community/area, number of religious services attended, and hours of employment outside the home--were related to interpersonal traits measured by the Interpersonal Check List. The implications of the results are discussed