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Swears in Context: The Difference Between Casual and Abusive Swearing
1Department of Psychology, Monk Prayogshala (Sec 25), 1103, Hillside, A Wing, Raheja Vihar, Powai, Mumbai, 400072, India. hk@monkprayogshala.in.
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|December 7, 2014
Summary
Swearing is common despite being taboo. Studies show mild and moderate swear words are context-dependent, while severe swears are inappropriate in most situations, with cultural and gender differences noted.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Sociolinguistics
Background:
- Swearing, often considered taboo, is prevalent in everyday communication.
- Understanding the social and contextual factors influencing swearing is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the paradox of taboo language use in daily conversations.
- To examine how context influences the appropriateness and usage of swear words across cultures.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted with Indian and non-Indian participants.
- Study 1 assessed swear word appropriateness in casual vs. abusive contexts.
- Study 2 involved participants completing dialogues using various swear words.
Main Results:
- Mild and moderate swear words were deemed more appropriate in casual contexts than abusive ones.
- Severe swear words were consistently rated as inappropriate across all contexts.
- Participants used mild/moderate swears in casual dialogues and moderate/severe swears in abusive dialogues, contrary to expectations for severe swears.
Conclusions:
- The appropriateness and usage of swear words are highly dependent on social context.
- Cultural and gender variations significantly impact perceptions and use of swearing.
- Further research is needed to explore nuanced cultural differences in contextualized swearing.
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