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.