They added that those who used taboo words were able to make nuanced distinctions and could use language expressively.
他们补充道,那些擅用禁忌词汇的人更易分辨出用语的细微差别,因而在语言表达上也更富有表现力。
They wrote: 'We cannot help but judge others on the basis of their speech.
他们写道:“我们免不了会根据人们的说话方式来判断一个人。
'Unfortunately, when it comes to taboo language, it is a common assumption that people who swear frequently are lazy, do not have an adequate vocabulary, lack education, or simply cannot control themselves.'
In their conclusion, they added: 'The overall finding of this set of studies, that taboo fluency is positively correlated with other measures of verbal fluency, undermines the [normal] view of swearing.
'Speakers who use taboo words understand their general expressive content as well as nuanced distinctions that must be drawn to use slurs appropriately.
“擅说脏话的人知道他们想要表达什么,也能够区分用语的细微差别,因而能更‘恰当’的使用脏话。
'The ability to make nuanced distinctions indicates the presence of more rather than less linguistic knowledge.'
“能区分细微差别的能力,显示了说话人拥有更多而不是更少的语言知识。”
Forty-nine participants aged between 18 and 22 were used in the experiment.