Does Emotional Arousal Influence Swearing Fluency

Bibliographic Data

ID5712322
AuthorsRichard Stephens (0000-0002-5851-8975, Keele University, corresponding author), Amy Zile (0000-0003-2658-1037, Keele University)
Year2017
Volume46
Issue4
Pages983-995
Publication date2017-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Psycholinguistic Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-6905 • E-ISSN: 1573-6555
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10936-016-9473-8
PMID28091853
OpenAlexW2577424926
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited17

This study assessed the effect of experimentally manipulated emotional arousal on swearing fluency. We hypothesised that swear word generation would be increased with raised emotional arousal. The emotional arousal of 60 participants was manipulated by having them play a first-person shooter video game or, as a control, a golf video game, in a randomised order. A behavioural measure of swearing fluency based on the Controlled Oral Word Association Test was employed. Successful experimental manipulation was indicated by raised State Hostility Questionnaire scores after playing the shooter game. Swearing fluency was significantly greater after playing the shooter game compared with the golf game. Validity of the swearing fluency task was demonstrated via positive correlations with self-reported swearing fluency and daily swearing frequency. In certain instances swearing may represent a form of emotional expression. This finding will inform debates around the acceptability of using taboo language

Arousal · Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Fluency · Hostility · Multimedia · Video game · Computer Science · Humor Studies and Applications · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Psychology · Social Psychology · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism