... For the first
time, psychologists have found that swearing may serve an important
function in relieving pain.
The study, published today in the journal NeuroReport,
measured how long college students could keep their hands immersed in
cold water. During the chilly exercise, they could repeat an expletive
of their choice or chant a neutral word. When swearing, the 67 student
volunteers reported less pain and on average endured about 40 seconds
longer.
Although cursing is notoriously decried in the public debate,
researchers are now beginning to question the idea that the phenomenon
is all bad. "Swearing is such a common response to pain that there has
to be an underlying reason why we do it," says psychologist Richard Stephens
of Keele University in England, who led the study. And indeed, the
findings point to one possible benefit: "I would advise people, if they
hurt themselves, to swear," he adds.
How swearing achieves its physical effects is unclear, but the
researchers speculate that brain circuitry linked to emotion is
involved. Earlier studies have shown that unlike normal language, which
relies on the outer few millimeters in the left hemisphere of the
brain, expletives hinge on evolutionarily ancient structures buried
deep inside the right half... [More] From Scientific American.
[The following is an exact transcript of this podcast.]
Holy
@$#%! According to neuroscientists from Britain’s Keele University,
dropping the f-bomb can actually relieve physical pain. In the upcoming
August 5th issue of the journal NeuroReport, the researchers say
swearing is a different phenomenon than most language. It activates
emotional centers in the right side of the brain, rather than those
&#*@ing cerebral areas reserved for regular #$#y communication in
the left hemisphere.
[More] From Scientific American.