Swearing, insults and hate speech: the social and psychological power of taboo language

By Jon Andoni Duñabeitia, Director del Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición (CINC) y Director de la International Chair in Cognitive Health (ICCH) en la Universidad Nebrija, Universidad Nebrija

Language does much more than just convey information. It expresses emotions, establishes social connections, and even challenges norms.

Taboo language is one of its most intriguing facets. These “off limits” words – a category ranging from insults and swear words through to racial slurs and hate speech – have extraordinary power. They elicit strong emotional responses, and reveal a massive amount about a society’s values, cultural norms, and psychological processes.

Taboo words or expressions are typically restricted by societies based on cultural, moral, or social norms.…

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