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The Effect of Swearing on Error-Related Negativity as an Indicator for State Disinhibition (2024)
Journal Article
Beck, V., L. Brooks, J., & Stephens, R. (2024). The Effect of Swearing on Error-Related Negativity as an Indicator for State Disinhibition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, https://doi.org/10.1177/17470218241308560

Introduction: Swearing has been linked to increased strength performance (Stephens et al., 2022) and state disinhibition (Hirsch et al, 2011) may be the mechanism linking swearing and strength. Error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural signal associ... Read More about The Effect of Swearing on Error-Related Negativity as an Indicator for State Disinhibition.

Effect of swearing on physical performance: a mini-review (2024)
Journal Article
Washmuth, N. B., Stephens, R., & Ballmann, C. G. (2024). Effect of swearing on physical performance: a mini-review. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1445175

Swearing, or using taboo language with the potential to offend, has been shown to improve physical performance during short and intense tasks requiring strength and power development. While consistent ergogenic effects of swearing have been observed... Read More about Effect of swearing on physical performance: a mini-review.

F@#$ pain! A mini-review of the hypoalgesic effects of swearing (2024)
Journal Article
Hay, C. M., Sills, J. L., Shoemake, J. M., Ballmann, C. G., Stephens, R., & Washmuth, N. B. (in press). F@#$ pain! A mini-review of the hypoalgesic effects of swearing. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1416041. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1416041

Swearing, or the use of taboo language, has been repeatedly shown to induce hypoalgesia. While reliable hypoalgesic effects have been observed across studies, the mechanisms by which swearing influences pain and the optimal dosage of swearing remain... Read More about F@#$ pain! A mini-review of the hypoalgesic effects of swearing.

Using expletives to enhance therapeutic outcomes: A case report (2023)
Journal Article
Washmuth, N. B., Stephens, R., McAfee, B., McAfee, A. D., Bise, C. G., & Durham, J. (in press). Using expletives to enhance therapeutic outcomes: A case report. Health Psychology Research, 11, https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.89726

Background
Swearing deserves attention in the physical therapy setting due to its potential positive effects on pain, physical performance, and therapeutic alliance. The purpose of this case report is to describe the strategic use of swearing in the... Read More about Using expletives to enhance therapeutic outcomes: A case report.

A Physical Therapist Who Swears: A Case Series (2023)
Journal Article
Trummer, G., Stephens, R., & Washmuth, N. B. (in press). A Physical Therapist Who Swears: A Case Series. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine - Clinical Communications, 6, jrmcc010277. https://doi.org/10.2340/jrmcc.v6.10277

Swearing deserves attention in the physical therapy setting due to its potential positive psychological, physiological, and social effects. The purpose of this case series is to describe 2 cases in which a physical therapist swears in the clinical se... Read More about A Physical Therapist Who Swears: A Case Series.

The power of swearing: What we know and what we don’t (2022)
Journal Article
Stapleton, K., Loveday, C., Stephens, R., & Beers Fägersten, K. (2022). The power of swearing: What we know and what we don’t. Lingua, -. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2022.103406

Swearing produces effects that are not observed with other forms of language use. Thus, swearing is powerful. It generates a range of distinctive outcomes: physiological, cognitive, emotional, pain-relieving, interactional and rhetorical. However, we... Read More about The power of swearing: What we know and what we don’t.

A review of gamified approaches to encouraging eco-driving (2022)
Journal Article
Stephens, R. (in press). A review of gamified approaches to encouraging eco-driving. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.970851

Eco-driving is a style of driving that minimizes energy consumption, while gamification refers to the use of game techniques to motivate user engagement in non-game contexts. This paper comprises a literature review assessing applying gamification to... Read More about A review of gamified approaches to encouraging eco-driving.

Effect of swearing on strength: Disinhibition as a potential mediator (2022)
Journal Article
Atkins, K., Stephens, R., Dowber, H., Barrie, A., & Almeida, S. (2022). Effect of swearing on strength: Disinhibition as a potential mediator. PsyArXiv, https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dfyc8

<p>Introduction: Swearing fulfils positive functions including benefitting pain relief and physical strength. Here we present three experiments assessing a possible psychological mechanism, increased state disinhibition, for the effect of swearing on... Read More about Effect of swearing on strength: Disinhibition as a potential mediator.