Can Gossip Be Good?

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Contrary to popular belief, gossip can be beneficial and help maintain social order. That, among other revelations, is the substance of new research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and contained in a new book, "Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit."

We talk with UC researcher Robb Willer and author Joseph Epstein about their research into the respectability of gossip.

Guests:

Joseph Epstein, author of "Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit"

Robb Willer, assistant professor of sociology and psychology at UC Berkeley and co-author of the "Virtues of Gossip" study

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