Scientists Say That Swearing Boosts Physical Performance

If you're after a free, simple boost for pushing through challenges, try swearing your way to your goals. A new study has revealed the surprising psychological effect that cursing in the heat of the moment has - for the swearer, at least.

Research by Richard Stephens, from Keele’s School of Psychology, indicates that swearing boosts physical performance and self-confidence - by blocking the urge to overthink and enabling one to perform better.

At the heart of this was the hypothesis of psychological “state disinhibition” - the idea that swearing can temporarily lower internal restraints, allowing people to push themselves harder than they normally would. Their research, published in the journal American Psychologist, says it does.

“This new research shows how swearing gives us a boost by putting us in a more disinhibited state that helps individuals feel more focused, confident, and overcome internal constraints," says Stephens. "It verifies our theory that swearing can act as a simple, low-cost psychological tool that helps people not hold back and go for it a little more. In short, swearing helps us to stop overthinking and start doing."

“These effects could have valuable applications in sport, rehabilitation, and any situation that calls for courage or assertiveness," Stephens said. "In this way, swearing could serve as an accessible way to unlock our full potential when peak performance is needed.”

Swearing reliably increased feelings of mental “flow," boosted self-confidence and distracted participants from discomfort and negative thoughts. Overall, these factors explained a significant portion of the performance boost. So while swearing didn't inject the participants' muscles with sudden strength, it appeared to boost the "mind over matter" state that can see people hold back from pushing themselves in challenging situations.

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