CURSING Has a Surprise Health Benefit

Cartoon brain lifting dumbbells and wearing glasses.

A new psychology study is now telling Americans that breaking a basic standard of self-control—swearing—can measurably boost physical performance, raising a hard question about what we normalize in public life.

Quick Take

Researchers found participants lasted longer in a strength-endurance task when repeating swear words instead of neutral words.
The effect is tied to “disinhibition,” with reported boosts in flow, distraction from discomfort, and self-confidence.
The experiments were run in 2025 and published in American Psychologist in December 2025, with APA and Keele University highlighting the findings.
Scientists say the approach is “drug-free” and “low-cost,” but broad real-world application beyond lab tasks remains unproven.

What the Study Found—and Why It’s Getting Attention

Researchers led by Richard Stephens of Keele University reported that people performing a physically demanding task—chair-based push-up holds—could sustain effort longer when they repeatedly said swear words than when they repeated neutral words. The study, published in American Psychologist, adds to earlier research linking taboo language to pain tolerance and endurance. In this round, the team focused on explaining the mechanism instead of merely repeating old results.

The experiments involved two studies in 2025 with 192 participants in total, according to multiple summaries and the publication record. Participants repeated their chosen word at a steady rhythm—described as every two seconds—while doing the task. The results were consistent with prior findings: swearing produced a modest but meaningful edge in performance. The researchers then used survey measures to test what psychological shifts appeared alongside that boost.

Disinhibition: The Proposed “Engine” Behind the Strength Bump

The team’s central claim is that swearing works by triggering disinhibition—loosening internal restraints that can cause hesitation during uncomfortable effort. In practical terms, participants reported greater psychological “flow,” more distraction from discomfort, and higher self-confidence when using swear words. The authors argue that taboo language carries emotional force, which can help people push past a self-imposed governor. They describe the effect as a simple “self-help” tool for key moments.

That framing matters because it pushes swearing beyond “letting off steam” and into something closer to a performance hack. The researchers also point to older foundations: 1960s-era work suggesting that shouting, noise, or even alcohol can increase strength output by reducing inhibitions. This study’s contribution is narrowing the pathway to measurable psychological mediators and pooling results across experiments to strengthen the statistical case for those mediators.

What’s Solid Evidence—and What’s Still Unknown

The strongest evidence here is narrow: a controlled lab setting, a specific physical endurance task, and repeatable differences between a swear word and a neutral word. The study does not claim swearing is universally beneficial, appropriate in all settings, or a replacement for training. The researchers themselves note future plans to test whether swearing helps in non-physical hesitation scenarios such as public speaking, approaching someone romantically, or other high-pressure moments.

Limitations also show up in the details. The exact swear words were participant-chosen, which makes the approach realistic but less standardized. Reports also vary slightly in how participant counts are described in parts of the coverage, even though the overall total is consistently cited as 192 across the two experiments. Most importantly, translating a lab effect into everyday life—gyms, schools, workplaces, and family environments—remains an open question.

A Cultural Reality Check for Parents, Coaches, and Public Spaces

For many Americans—especially parents and faith-driven families—the practical challenge is obvious: even if a behavior “works,” that does not automatically make it wise to promote. The study’s takeaway can easily be spun into a social-media slogan that treats profanity as harmless or even virtuous. A more grounded reading is that taboo language may momentarily reduce hesitation, but communities still have to weigh standards for speech, respect, and self-control.

The good news is that the research points to something many people already know from experience: mindset affects performance. If disinhibition, confidence, and distraction from discomfort are part of the effect, then coaches and therapists can look for cleaner tools that build the same mental edge—breathing, focus cues, disciplined self-talk, and training that hardens resolve. The study may be real, but it doesn’t force America to lower its standards to benefit from the underlying lesson.