Gossip Hunger Test (GHT)
Gossip, as a pervasive social phenomenon, has been extensively documented as a mechanism for information exchange, social bonding, and status negotiation within human groups. The Gossip Hunger Test (GHT), informed by the empirical work of Eric K. Foster, provides a psychometrically structured assessment of an individual’s propensity to engage with gossip. This instrument evaluates inclinations toward receiving, disseminating, acquiring, and distributing gossip-related content, offering a quantitative analysis of one’s engagement with informal interpersonal communication. Grounded in psychological research, the GHT elucidates the extent to which individuals exhibit appetitive behaviors toward gossip across diverse social contexts.
Question 1 of 36
I tune out juicy rumors.
| Disagree | Agree |
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The Gossip Hunger Test (GHT) is a rigorously designed evaluative tool intended to quantify an individual’s appetitive orientation toward gossip, defined as the informal transmission of evaluative or personal information about absent third parties. Drawing upon the foundational research of Foster (2004), as published in Review of General Psychology, this test delineates four distinct dimensions: Receiving Gossip Tendency, Disseminating Gossip Tendency, Acquiring Gossip Tendency, and Social Distribution Preference. These constructs are operationalized through a series of self-report items, yielding a composite score reflective of gossip engagement.
Foster’s seminal article, “Research on Gossip: Taxonomy, Methods, and Future Directions,” provides a comprehensive taxonomy of gossip’s social functions, including its roles in alliance formation, norm enforcement, and informational power dynamics. The GHT operationalizes these insights by assessing Receiving Gossip Tendency (receptivity to gossip input), Disseminating Gossip Tendency (propensity to transmit gossip), Acquiring Gossip Tendency (active pursuit of gossip), and Social Distribution Preference (selection of gossip recipients). Each dimension is measured via nine items, totaling 36 responses, scored on a continuum from 0 to 100, where higher values indicate greater engagement. Aggregate data from analogous studies suggest a normative mean of approximately 42.6, with variability attributable to individual and contextual factors.
Participants respond to statements such as “I exhibit a strong inclination to receive emergent interpersonal narratives” or “I actively propagate anecdotal information to multiple recipients.” Scores are aggregated to produce a comprehensive profile, delineating specific tendencies within the broader construct of gossip hunger.
The GHT serves as an introspective instrument rather than a normative judgment, facilitating insight into individual differences in gossip-related behavior. It situates responses within the broader psychological framework of social information processing.
Why Use This Test?
Gossip constitutes a fundamental component of human social interaction, influencing relational dynamics and group cohesion. The GHT, leveraging Foster’s (2004) empirically derived insights, offers a systematic method to assess one’s engagement with this phenomenon, providing a lens through which to examine personal and interpersonal behavioral patterns.