Don’t hold back, swearing can boost performance by lowering inhibitions, study finds
Study finds dropping an expletive can raise confidence and help people push harder during physically demanding tasks
TL;DR
- Swearing can enhance physical performance by lowering inhibitions and promoting a "flow state".
- Previous research showed swearing increased strength and pain tolerance.
- Latest research suggests swearing triggers disinhibition, helping people push harder.
- Experiments showed swearing increased the duration of chair pushups by 11%.
- Swearing boosts self-confidence, improves psychological "flow", and distracts from the task.
- The taboo nature of swearwords is thought to be key to their power.
- Further research is exploring if more offensive language yields greater gains and if confidence boosts apply to other contexts like public speaking.