Women use gossip to compete for a man's attention

(Springer) Although both men and women gossip, women may be more likely to use gossiping and rumour-mongering as tactics to badmouth a potential rival who is competing for a man's attention. Women also gossip more about other women's looks, whereas men talk about cues to resource holding (e.g., wealth) and the athleticism of their competitors.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://ift.tt/2kmO1A2