Don't hold back, swearing can boost performance by lowering inhibitions, study finds

"A study has found that swearing can boost physical performance by lowering inhibitions and pushing the brain into a flow state. In many situations, people hold themselves back consciously or unconsciously from using their full strength, said Dr Richard Stephens, a psychologist at Keele University who led the research. Swearing is an easily available way to help yourself feel focused, confident and less distracted, and go for it a little more."

"Previous research found that swearing increases strength and pain tolerance in tests that involved participants repeating swearwords while pushing themselves to the limit on an exercise bike or holding their hand in icy water. Initially the researchers hypothesised that swearing riled people up into a fight or flight state, but they did not find any corroborating evidence for this, such as an increased heart rate. Instead, the latest research suggests that swearing triggers a state of disinhibition."

"To test this, the researchers conducted two experiments with 192 participants. In each, they asked participants to repeat either an expletive of their choice, or a neutral word, every two seconds while doing a chair pushup. After completing the chair pushup challenge, participants answered questions about their mental state during the task. Their answers suggested that swearing boosted self-confidence, improved psychological flow and distracted them from the task at hand all important aspects of disinhibition."

Swearing lowers social constraint and can push the brain into a flow state, allowing greater physical exertion. Repeating expletives boosts self-confidence, improves psychological flow and distracts attention from the task, all aspects of disinhibition. Two experiments with 192 participants had people repeat either an expletive or a neutral word every two seconds while performing chair pushups. Participants who swore maintained the chair pushup about 11% longer. Physiological markers of fight-or-flight, such as increased heart rate, were not observed, indicating disinhibition rather than acute arousal explains the performance benefit.

Read at www.theguardian.com