Swearing May Boost Confidence, Reduce Inhibitions: New Study

Swearing could boost physical performance by helping one overcome inhibitions, feel focussed and push harder on tests of strength and endurance, according to a study. While cursing is socially frowned upon, cathartic effects of expletives have been previously studied to boost physical performance, reduce anxiety and stress, and enhance memory, with an overuse lowering their power. "But the question is -- how is swearing helping us? What's the psychological mechanism?" study author Richard Stephens, senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University in the UK, said. The study, published in the journal American Psychologist, examined 192 people, who were asked to do chair push-ups and repeat a curse word of personal choice -- or a neutral word -- every two seconds.

The participants later responded to questions about their mental state while performing the push-up task, involving those related to disinhibition, positive emotions felt and humour of the situation.

Questions to measure psychological "flow" -- a mental state in which people feel immersed in an activity in a pleasant and focussed manner -- were also asked.

The participants who swore while doing push-ups were found to support their body weight significantly longer, compared to those who repeated a neutral word. "These findings help explain why swearing is so commonplace. Swearing is literally a calorie neutral, drug free, low cost, readily available tool at our disposal for when we need a boost in performance.

"In many situations, people hold themselves back -- consciously or unconsciously -- from using their full strength. Swearing is an easily available way to help yourself feel focused, confident and less distracted, and 'go for it' a little more," Stephens explained.

In a previous study, Stephens' team found that when people swear, they perform better on many physical challenges, including how long they can keep their hand in ice water and how long they can support their body weight during a chair push-up exercise.

The researchers suggested that swearing may be helpful because it places people in a disinhibited state of mind.

After combining the findings of the recent study and those from the previous one, the team confirmed that the benefits of swearing could be explained by increased levels in participants' reports of psychological flow and self-confidence -- all key aspects of disinhibition.

"By swearing, we throw off social constraint and allow ourselves to push harder in different situations," Stephens said.

The authors wrote, "These findings suggest that swearing promotes psychological states conducive to maximizing effort and overcoming internal constraints. These effects have potential implications for athletic performance, rehabilitation, and contexts requiring courage or assertiveness." 

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