The A(ffective) B(ehavioral) C(ognitive) of Taboo Words in Natural Language: The Relationship Between Taboo Words’ Intensity and Frequency
Author
Summary, in English
We investigated the relationship between the affective component (A: the level of offensiveness/intensity) and the behavioral component (B: the frequency of usage) of taboo words that are part of an individual’s natural language (C: the cognitive component). In Study 1, 900 U.S. residents generated the 10 most common taboo words they use in their daily lives (C). In Study 2, 1,000 U.S. residents were presented with the 30 most common taboo words (C) from Study 1 and asked to rate how offensive they perceived the words (A) and how often they used these words (B). This relationship was controlled for self-reported trait affectivity. We found a slight change in which taboo words people use in everyday life. The results suggest that the level of offensiveness of taboo words (A) predicts the usage of the words (B) that are part of a person’s natural language (C): the ABC-hypothesis of taboo words.
Department/s
Publishing year
2017
Language
English
Pages
306-320
Publication/Series
Journal of Language and Social Psychology
Volume
36
Issue
3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Topic
- Psychology
Keywords
- ABC-Hypothesis of Taboo Words,
- Affectivity
- Frequency
- Taboo Words
- Intensity
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0261-927X