ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a review of research assessing the psychobiology of swearing and considers the neurobiological underpinnings of swearing and taboo language. It assesses evidence that swearing produces arousal of the autonomic nervous system and explores the impact of swearing and taboo language on memory, social dynamics and pain tolerance. The chapter deals with some notes and cautions with regard to the effects of swearing and discusses future directions. A study assessed whether swearing during neuropsychological assessment may signify the onset of dementia. Psychobiological studies employing swearing as an emotion-generating stimulus have supported the hypothesis that the amygdala supplements memory via binding theory, such that emotional aspects of stimuli are linked with contextual aspects improving overall recall. Several studies provide evidence that swearing leads to increased autonomic arousal consistent with an acute stress response. The psychological study of swearing is in its infancy. Swearing appears to be best characterized as emotional language.
