PROFANITY’S RELATION TO PERSONALITY AND IMPULSIVITY
Jasmin Mokbel
Mentor: Dr. Chrysalis L. Wright
University of Central Florida
Background Info
There are many unfounded assumptions on the use of swear words that are not based on
research. For instance, it is assumed that media plays an influential role in exposing children
to swear words. Even though implications of harm from swearing through media sources
have yet to be proven, censorship on such sources have been put in place as means of
prevention. Without certainty of the implications of swearing and the source of which
profanity is initially introduced to a child, funding for prevention may not be adequately
placed in the sources a child is actually being exposed to such stimuli (Jay & Janschewitz,
2012). Swearing, however, is common within cable television programming, occurring in 9
out of 10 shows at least once every five minutes (Kaye & Sapolsky, 2009). There is concern
about anti-social penalties from the media introducing adolescents to offensive language.
Researchers found that there were minimal effects, determining children under the age of
twelve are unlikely to even comprehend such language (Jay, 2009). Considering the high usage
frequency of swear words among the public and the varying misconceptions about the
influence of swear words, research in this area is needed.
Swearing across cultures can be categorized on seven levels: names sacred to religious
symbols (e.g., angels, demons), labels tied to important events in religion and places, names of
holy icons, words relating to the future, vulgar references, and phrases (Patrick, 1901). A
person may swear when they are punished or feel wronged in some way. Their natural
reaction is to release the emotion or built up tension caused by the incident through the
expression of words. Internalizing those emotions at that time and expressing them in words
may help avoid immediate physical violence (Jay, 2009).
Method
Data was collected from 818 college students who answered questions via online surveys.
Fifty-five participants were deleted from the study because their responses indicated that
they were not involved with the survey or they did not answer important questions in the
study (final n = 763). All participants were recruited through psychology courses and
received research credit or class extra credit for their participation.
There were a total of 8 measures used in this study:
1)The Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, & Sensation Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPSP)
2) Personality Traits: The Big Five Inventory (BFI)
3) Religiosity. Nine items were used to assess participant’s level of religiosity
4) Swearing exposure: Eighteen questions were used that determined the level of exposure
to swear words
5) Swearing history: Fourteen items were used to assess participants’ history with using
swear words
6) Acceptable use of swears words: Twenty items asked participants to rate how strongly
they agree with using swear words in certain situations
7) Social construction of swears words: Participants were given ten scenarios, developed for
the current study, in which they were asked to determine if the use of a swear word
occurred,
8) Demographic questionnaire: Items assessed age, race, ethnicity, gender, year in college,
biological parents’ current marital status, economic hardship while growing up, and current
relationship status
Discussion
Results
Correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between the impulsivity and level
of conscientiousness, agreeableness, social construction of swearing, and current amount of swearing. Six
linear regression analyses were conducted to determine how gender, personality characteristics, religiosity, and
exposure to swear words while growing up combine to best predict the use of swear words, the acceptability
of swear words, the social construction of the use of swear words, how often one publicly and privately
swears, frequency at which one swears in front of family, and families view on swearing. Results can be found
in Tale 1.
Results indicated that importance of religion impacted how often participants’ swore in public. Extraversion
and exposure of swear words from actors/actresses and participants’ mother was related to swearing in
private. Participants’ race, level of openness, importance of religion, and exposure to swear words from
participants’ mother and TV were related to swearing in front of family members. Participant gender and age,
level of openness, level of impulsivity, religious importance, and exposure to swearing from participants’
mother, TV, and actors/actresses were related to families level of acceptance of swearing. Participant gender
and age, level of agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and impulsivity, religious importance, and
exposure to swearing from participants’ mother, TV actors/actresses, and music were related to participants’
acceptance of swearing. Level of conscientiousness and impulsivity were found to impact participant’s social
construction of swearing.
Table 1. Regression Coefficients
Gender
Race
Age
Extroversion
Neuroticism
Agree
Openness
Conscientiousness
Impulse
Religious Activities
Religious
Importance
Exposure from
mother
Exposure from TV
Exposure from
Actors/Actresses
Exposure from
Music
R2
F
Swears
in
Public
-.01
.03
-.01
.01
.02
.00
-.06
.05
-.06
-.09*
Swears in
Private/Ho
me
-.054
.00
-.06
.09 **
.05
-.02
-.04
-.05
.02
.01
.04
Swears in
front
of Family
.01
-.07*
-.02
.06
.03
-.04
.13**
-.04
-.05
-.08
.25***
--
.12 **
.14**
.23***
.21*
--
---
.02
-.12 **
.11**
--
.07*
-.09*
.03*
-.08
---
--
--
--
--
.10**
.02
1.37
.06
2.75***
.16
8.94**
.26
16.71
.37
27.86***
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Family Swearing
Social
View of Acceptan Constructi
Swearing
ce
on
-.07*
-.11***
.06
-.04
-.02
-.07
-.10**
-.09***
.02
.00
.03
-.04
-.01
.04
.01
-.06
-.11***
.05
.09*
.10**
-.02
-.05
-.09**
-.09*
.12**
.12**
-.11*
.01
.04
-.22***
.27*
--
.04
2.00**
The results of the study significantly indicated that over half of the
participants reported their mothers to be the highest source of exposure to
swear words over external variables, such as the media influences. These
results did not support the first initial hypothesis that exposure first happens
from an external source (mass media outlets) rather than a familiar source
(family member). Also, the most common exposure to swear words prior to
five years old was in elementary school. The majority of participants reported
almost always swearing several times daily, especially among peers. Impulsivity
was positively correlated with personality characteristics of neuroticism and
swearing acceptance, and swearing acceptance had a positive relationship with
the participants’ openness. Meaning that the more impulsive a participant
ranked they tended to rank higher on neuroticism and swearing acceptance.
These results support the second hypothesis that extroverted personality types
would be more likely to engage in the use of profanity, since impulsivity and
neuroticism are common characteristics of extroverts. Religious importance
seemed to be the strongest predictor of different levels of swearing in the
linear regression analyses. The current study is significant considering the
application of the results provide the scientific community with data that
measures the harmfulness of swearing, if it is bad for children to swear or
hear swear words, and the amount and frequency of swear words said by
individuals. Future research investigating these relationships is needed to
adequately determine the cause.