Their study involved 64 volunteers who were each asked to put their hand in a tub of ice water for as long as possible while repeating a swear word of their choice.
They then repeated the experiment using a more commonplace word that they would use to describe a table.
The researchers found the volunteers were able to keep their hands in the ice water for a longer time when swearing, establishing a link between swearing and an increase in pain tolerance.
Swearing can lessen pain
Posted on Monday, July 20 2009 @ 10:20 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Researchers from the school of psychology at Britain's Keele University have found that swearing can have a pain-lessening effect: