One study showed people who swear have a larger vocabulary than others

You might have been told swearing shows a lack of intelligence or a limited vocabulary.

But experts have revealed this is not the case, and the use of profanity can in fact be a sign of a smart person.

Studies have shown those with foul mouths are more articulate and have a larger vocabulary than their peers.

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There is no doubt it can be incredibly offensive to some, but whether swearing is good or bad for us is still up for discussion in the scientific community. Now experts explain the science of profanity, revealing the evidence behind its positive and negative effects. Stock image

IS SWEARING A SIGN OF A GOOD VOCABULARY? Research in 2014 revealed people who frequently swear are more likely to have a bigger vocabulary than their clean-tongued peers. A colourful tongue does not mean the talker is lazy or uneducated, the study published in the Language Sciences journal found. Instead, those who are more confident using taboo words are more articulate in other areas. Kristin and Timothy Jay, the US-based psychologists who co-wrote the study, said it proved swearing was positively correlated with verbal fluency. 'We cannot help but judge others on the basis of their speech,' they wrote. '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.' Advertisement

Benjamin Bergen, Professor of cognitive sciences at UC San Diego, says we have many misconceptions about using foul language.

Professor Bergen is author of a book called 'What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves.'

'It turns out that there are amazing things you can find out about how the mind works, how the brain works, people's human sociality just by looking at profanity,' he told CBS.

Swearing could be linked to higher intelligence and a bigger vocabulary.

Research in 2014 revealed people who frequently swear are more likely to have a bigger vocabulary than their clean-tongued peers.

A colourful tongue does not mean the talker is lazy or uneducated, the study published in the Language Sciences journal found.

Instead, those who are more confident using taboo words are more articulate in other areas.

The experiment asked participants to say as many swear words as they could think of in 60 seconds. They were then asked to do the same with animals.

Those who knew the most swear words were more likely to name the most animals as well, the research found.

Kristin and Timothy Jay, the US-based psychologists who co-wrote the study, said it proved swearing was positively correlated with verbal fluency.

The average profile of a swearer is often sophisticated, like that of the swear-word loving spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (played by Peter Capaldi) in TV political satire The Thick of It

TURNING THE NET BLUE: TOP 10 UK SWEAR WORDS ON FACEBOOK 1. F*** 2. S*** 3. Bloody 4. P*** 5. B**** 6. Crap 7. C*** 8. C*** 9. Damn 10. D*** Source: Slate Advertisement

They added that those who used taboo words were able to make nuanced distinctions and could use language expressively.

'We cannot help but judge others on the basis of their speech,' they wrote.

'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.

'The ability to make nuanced distinctions indicates the presence of more rather than less linguistic knowledge.'

Forty-nine participants aged between 18 and 22 were used in the experiment.

'There's this idea that swearing might be cathartic' Professor Benjamin Bergen, from UC San Diego, told CBS.

But according to Professor Bergen, swearing makes people no less aggressive.

Another group of researchers has claimed swearing is a harmless emotional release which could make you feel stronger - though only in moderation.

In an experiment, participants were made to play aggressive computer games and could recall a wider variety of swear words after their session, as well as turning the air blue much more often.

A colourful tongue does not mean the talker is lazy or uneducated, a study published last year in the Language Sciences journal found. Instead, those who are more confident using taboo words are more articulate in other areas

Rather than just proving we swear more when we are angry, the psychologists insisted, the study showed profanity can be an emotional coping mechanism which makes us feel more resilient.

The group presented the findings of their study to the British Psychological Society's annual conference.

In the video game study, they said, participants were asked to recall as many profanities as they could before and after playing.

Senior lecturer Dr Richard Stephens said: 'The video games made people feel more aggressive so their language became more emotional and they swore. This explains swearing and makes it more acceptable.