Gossiping and its reputation effects are viewed as the most powerful mechanism to sustain cooperation without the intervention of formal authorities. Being virtually costless, gossiping is highly effective in monitoring and sanctioning norm violators. Rational individuals cooperate in order to avoid negative reputations. But this narrative is incomplete and often leads to wrong predictions. Goal Framing Theory, a cognitive-behavioral approach anchored in evolutionary research, provides a better explanatory framework. Three overarching goal frames (hedonic, gain, and normative) constantly compete for being in our cognitive foreground. This Element argues that for gossip to have reputation effects, a salient normative goal frame is required. But since the hedonic mindset usually trumps gain and normative concerns, most gossip will be driven by hedonic motives and therefore not have strong reputation effects. Propositions on cultural, structural, dispositional, situational, and technological gossip antecedents and consequences are developed and illustrated with evidence from the empirical record.
A strange kind of indulgence; 1. The puzzle of sustainable cooperation; 2. The evolutionary origins of gossip, reputation and cooperation; 3. A goal framing perspective on gossip, reputation and cooperation; 4. Gossip: antecedents and consequences for reputation and cooperation; 5. Gossip and reputation in contemporary societies; 6. A research agenda for goal framing theory, gossip and reputation effects; References; Acknowledgements.
