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Honest People Tend to Use Less-Not More-Profanity: Comment on Feldman et al.'s (2017) Study 1
Reinout E de Vries1,2, Benjamin E Hilbig3, Ingo Zettler4
1Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Social Psychological and Personality Science
|September 18, 2018
Summary
This study challenges the idea that swearing indicates dishonesty. High scores on impression management scales actually suggest honesty in low-stakes situations, and profanity use correlates with cheating.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Previous research suggested a link between profanity and honesty.
- This link was based on the assumption that high scores on impression management scales indicate dishonesty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the relationship between profanity, impression management, and honesty.
- To investigate the validity of using impression management scales to assess honesty.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing studies on self-other agreement, personality variables, and objective cheating measures.
- Examination of two datasets including an "I never swear" item and HEXACO honesty-humility scores.
- Correlation analysis between profanity use, impression management scores, and cheating behavior.
Main Results:
- High scores on impression management scales are associated with high trait honesty in low-stakes settings, contrary to prior assumptions.
- Profanity use is negatively related to self-reported honesty-humility.
- Profanity use is positively related to objective measures of cheating.
Conclusions:
- The conclusion that profane individuals are honest is likely incorrect.
- High scores on impression management scales indicate honesty, not dishonesty, in low-stakes conditions.
- Profanity is a potential indicator of dishonesty and cheating behavior.
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