Scientists have found: people who skillfully swear have a richer vocabulary

    If someone reproaches you that swearing is ugly, you can safely object - science is on our side. A new study by British American scientists found that people with a good set of curses are more likely to have a rich vocabulary than polite people without a set of curses.

    In other words, if you know a lot of different curses, then you are most likely an intelligent and intellectually developed person.

    The results of the study contradict the common misconception that a person swears when he can’t find the words to express his opinion.

    The first experiment involved 43 people (30 women) aged 18 to 22 years. Each of them had to name the maximum number of obscene, abusive and taboo words in 60 seconds. Then, they needed to recall as many animal names as possible and name them in the same 60 seconds. Researchers considered the test with animal names an indicator of vocabulary. These are the conditions for standard one-minute verbal FAS tests . In total, participants in the experiment called 533 different curses.

    The second experiment involved 49 people (34 women) of the same age. The experimental conditions were similar, but only all curses and all animals should begin with the letter “a”.

    In the final scientific work, which is publishedin the journal Language Sciences , researchers cite several conclusions. For example, they pay attention to the absence of a significant difference in the set of curses among men and women. Representatives of both sexes know approximately the same number of obscene words.

    At the same time, a positive correlation was found between the number of curses known to man and the general vocabulary.

    “A large supply of taboo vocabulary may be an indicator of healthy verbal abilities, rather than a sign of vocabulary deficiency,” the authors conclude. - Speakers when using obscene words understand their general expressive content, as well as the nuances of meanings that should be borne in mind for the correct application of insults. The ability to understand the nuances of meanings indicates more rather than less advanced linguistic abilities. ”

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