The Effect of Profanity and Taboo Gesture on Pain
Abstract
Swearing increases pain tolerance possibly because of its
connection to aggression. However little research has explored
if taboo gestures produce a similar effect. Our experiment was
a 2 (Valence: Taboo vs Neutral) x 2 (Modality: Language vs
Gesture) mixed design. We found that the middle finger and
“fuck” increase pain tolerance and lower perceived pain but
have no connection to aggression.