Swearing frees the mind to “go for it”, Keele study finds

Swearing doesn’t just let off steam - it frees people psychologically to push harder and perform better, according to a new study. 

New research from Keele University, published in the American Psychologist journal, has provided the strongest evidence yet that swearing boosts physical performance and self-confidence because it puts people into a psychological state that allows them to not ‘hold back’ and to stop over-thinking and start doing.  

The study, led by Dr Richard Stephens from Keele’s School of Psychology, tested whether swearing improves physical performance and whether this boost is explained by psychological processes linked to state disinhibition - a temporary loosening of restraint that allows individuals to act more freely, confidently, and with greater focus.  

Dr Stephens, who has developed an international reputation for research on emotional language, specifically swearing, said: “In many situations we hold ourselves back and in doing so, limit our opportunities for success. We see this if someone has a fear of public speaking, that can prevent individuals from expressing ideas or seizing personal and professional opportunities, or when athletes return from injury and frequently demonstrate hesitation and reduced self-confidence.  

“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. 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. In this way, swearing could serve as an accessible way to unlock our full potential when peak performance is needed.”  

The study was led by Dr Stephens with colleagues from University of Alabama, in Huntsville. The researchers successfully replicated a previous experiment that found participants could perform a chair push-up - lifting oneself from a chair seat using the arms - for longer after repeating a swear word, compared with repeating a non-swear word, showing that swearing can have beneficial effects on physical tasks and increase self-confidence. The experiments also assessed potential mediators related to state disinhibition, including psychological flow, distraction, humour, and self-confidence.  

Nick Washmuth, a PhD student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, who contributed to the study, said: “Our next step is testing whether this boost from swearing works in any context where success requires overcoming hesitancy.”