Psychology researcher Richard Stephens from Keele University in the United Kingdom and his colleagues at Keele and the University of Alabama conducted a study aiming to find out whether swearing had any benefits not only on physical performance but also on people’s psychology. The study, published in American Psychologist, recruited 88 participants aged between 18 and 65 in good physical shape, and consisted of, after choosing a swear word and a neutral word, performing a push-up on a chair and holding it for as long as possible.
Factors such as mood, psychological flow, self-confidence, distraction, social desire, cognitive anxiety, negative emotion, and spectator apathy were taken into account. The results indicated that swearing generates greater physical performance, as well as higher scores in mood, positive emotion, and humor, among others.
Swearing make you stronger?
If regular gym-goers read the article published in American Psychologist, gyms might start to seem at least curious places to visit. Psychology researcher Richard Stephens from Keele University in the United Kingdom, along with colleagues from his university and the University of Alabama, conducted a study to see whether swearing while exercising had any benefits for physical performance and a person’s psychology. According to Stephens, “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 to ‘go for it’ a little more”.
The experiment involved a sample of 88 people aged between 18 and 65, all in good physical condition. The first part took place on the university campus and was carried out as follows: Each of them selected a pair of words based on the following instructions: an insulting word they could say after hitting their head, and a neutral word they could use to describe a table. Once chosen, they had to perform a push-up on a chair, holding themselves up as long as possible.
According to the researchers, “During the task of pushing the chair, participants were asked to repeat their self-selected word—either the curse word or the neutral word, depending on the randomization.” After the exercise, each participant had to answer a series of questions to measure their level of state disinhibition. These questions assessed factors such as mood, psychological flow, self-confidence, social desire, and distraction.
Second part
The second part of the experiment consisted of repeating the same exercise with a group of 94 participants with the same characteristics, but separate from the previous one. The same measures were evaluated, but this time the researchers added some measures that they thought might decrease during the insult sessions: spectator apathy, behavioral inhibition system, cognitive anxiety, and negative emotion.
Results
The results obtained are, to say the least, striking. According to the researchers, they were able to determine that swearing provides an advantage in physical performance, as participants achieved longer plank times while swearing. According to Stephen, “These findings suggest that swearing promotes psychological states conducive to maximizing effort and overcoming internal limitations. These findings help to explain why insults are so common. Swearing is literally a calorie-neutral, drug-free, low-cost, easily accessible tool at our disposal for when we need a performance boost”.
Frequently asked questions
What did Richard Stephens’ study consist of?
Participants from Keele University and the University of Alabama had to hold a plank position on a chair for as long as possible while repeating either a swear word or a neutral word.
What physical results were obtained?
Swearing improved physical performance; participants achieved longer endurance times when using swear words compared to neutral words.
Why does swearing help psychologically?
It acts as a tool to overcome internal limitations, increasing confidence and focus without the need for drugs or extra costs.