Swearing as a response to pain

@article{Stephens2009SwearingAA,
  title={Swearing as a response to pain},
  author={Richard Stephens and J. B. Atkins and and Ann E. Kingston},
  journal={NeuroReport},
  year={2009},
  volume={20},
  pages={1056-1060}
}
Although a common pain response, whether swearing alters individuals' experience of pain has not been investigated. This study investigated whether swearing affects cold-pressor pain tolerance (the ability to withstand immersing the hand in icy water), pain perception and heart rate. In a repeated measures design, pain outcomes were assessed in participants asked to repeat a swear word versus a neutral word. In addition, sex differences and the roles of pain catastrophising, fear of pain and… 
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85 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
2
Results Citations
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85 Citations

Swearing as a response to pain-effect of daily swearing frequency.
Effect of Manipulated State Aggression on Pain Tolerance
TLDR
Data indicate that people become more pain tolerant with raised state aggression and support the theory that raised pain tolerance from swearing occurs via an emotional response.
Hurt feelings and four letter words: Swearing alleviates the pain of social distress
TLDR
It is suggested that social and physical pain are functionally similar and that swearing attenuates social pain.
Means ( SDs ) of Age , Cold Pressor Latency , Perceived Pain Scale Score , Resting
TLDR
Apparent habituation related to daily swearing frequency is shown, consistent with the theory that the underlying mechanism by which swearing increases pain tolerance is the provocation of an emotional response.
Swearing as a response to pain: A cross-cultural comparison of British and Japanese participants
Swearing as a Response to Pain: Assessing Hypoalgesic Effects of Novel “Swear” Words
TLDR
Findings that repeating a swear word at a steady pace and volume benefits pain tolerance are replicated, extending this finding to pain threshold.
Verbal Swearing Attenuates the Effects of Social Pain
• Swearing increases physical pain tolerance (Stephens, Atkins, & Kingston, 2009) Swearing can act as an adaptive response to physical pain, decreasing pain sensitivity and increasing pain tolerance.…
Taboo gesticulations as a response to pain
TLDR
These largely null findings further the understanding of swearing as a response to pain, suggesting that the activation of taboo schemas is not sufficient for hypoalgesia to occur.
On the importance of being vocal: saying "ow" improves pain tolerance.
Increased Pain Communication following Multiple Group Memberships Salience Leads to a Relative Reduction in Pain-Related Brain Activity
TLDR
Evidence for an adaptive response to pain is provided: the more people make use of the social resources at their disposal when experiencing pain, the less pain areas are activated.
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