YEP... F this ... F that.... F-bomb has been in the news a lot this week. BI even took a position on Carol Bartzs choice language. So we did some research: does swearing in the workplace really pay off? Studies say it does. We found some compelling evidence from Cory Scherer and Brad Sagarin of Northern Illinois University, who authored Indecent Influence: The Positive Effects Of Obscenity On Persuasion. In 2005, they asked 88 college students to evaluate a 5-minute speech on the merits of lowering tuition. Two groups watched speeches where the speaker swore (one at the beginning, the other at the end); and the control group evaluated a PG-rated speech. All talks included equal parts strong and weak arguments. The students evaluated the speaker based on intensity (passion), credibility, likeability and persuasiveness. As it turned out, swearing had a significant effect on participants attitudes about lowering tuition [the students identified most with the speaker]. ... speeches with the swear word at the beginning and end did not significantly differ from each other. ... and swearing did not significantly impact perceptions of speaker credibility. In fact, the study says, obscenity could impact credibility positively because the use of obscenity could make a credible speaker appear more human.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 18:35:28 +0000
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