22 | FOREVER Keele
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Swearing can increase self-confidence , physical strength and risky behaviour
Keele University researchers have found that swearing can increase self-confidence and risk-taking behaviour , as well as boosting physical strength .
Led by Dr Richard Stephens , the team carried out a study which aimed to identify the psychological pathway by which swearing can have beneficial effects on physical tasks . They were particularly interested in whether swearing increased ‘ state disinhibition ’, which is a state of lowered self-control and lack of restraint .
The study , which has been published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology , found that participants could perform a chair push-up - lifting oneself from a chair seat using the arms - for longer after repeating a swear word .
Dr Stephens recently delivered a talk on this topic at this year ’ s Keele Day ( see p . 39 )