Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Manuel Gonzalez

Committee Member

Michael Bixter

Committee Member

Cheryl Gray

Abstract

Workplace communication is a constantly evolving process. In recent years, workplace gossip has been reframed as a more complex construct, with researchers increasingly recognizing its positive and functional aspects. The current study aimed to contribute to the gossip literature by examining how personality traits, specifically Neuroticism and Extraversion, predict workplace gossip, and whether Emotional Intelligence (EI) moderates these relationships. A sample of 185 full-time employees in the United States completed measures of personality, EI, and four types of gossip: negative gossip about supervisors and coworkers (NWGS and NWGC), and positive gossip about supervisors and coworkers (PWGS and PWGC). Stepwise regression analyses revealed that Neuroticism predicted greater engagement in NWGS, while Extraversion was positively associated with both PWGS and PWGC. Contrary to expectations, EI did not buffer these relationships; instead, it strengthened the association between Neuroticism and NWGS. These findings highlight the role of individual differences in workplace communication and suggest that EI may not always serve as a protective factor in interpersonal dynamics.

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