New research suggests that, rather than being a damaging, rumor-spreading habit, gossiping could actually lower stress and help people overcome the frustration of seeing someone doing something wrong and getting away with it, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Psychologists from the University of California, Berkeley, found that volunteers' heart rates rose when they observed someone misbehaving.

However, this stopped when they were allowed to discuss what they had seen with others.

(China.org.cn January 29, 2012)

據英國《每日電訊報》報道，新研究發現，八卦并非是一種有害的、散播流言蜚語的習慣，相反，八卦的確可以減輕人們的壓力，幫助人們克服失望感，比如看到某人做了錯事卻逃過一劫。

美國加州大學伯克利分校心理學家實驗發現，志愿者們在發現有人行為不端時心率會上升。

不過，當他們被允許將所見所聞同別人討論時，心率就會變得平穩。