If you have a stressful job or one where you get easily frustrated, then it's perhaps inevitable for some to develop a something of a foul-mouth.

However, a recent study claims that your average office bares witness to a quite remarkable amount of swearing each week.

The new research comes courtesy of UK-based communications company 4com, and appears to show that the average British office worker hears around 11 swear words from their colleagues each working day.

In a poll conducted by 4com, a shocking 25 percent of British office workers confessed to rarely reining in their tongue, and a further eight percent said that they never bothered to resist swearing in the workplace. Only a mere 20 per cent said they tried to never swear in front of their colleagues.

Commenting on 4com's findings, psychotherapist Dr. Jo Gee stated: "Studies suggest swearing can be beneficial, as the process of swearing is often cathartic, letting out pent-up emotion, as well as aiding storytelling or jokes. Perceptions of those who swear are also more likely to be linked to the words ‘honest’ and ‘credible.’"

She continued: "As to why people use them at work, alongside the above reasons, for some, offensive language might be a ‘test’ for the work setting – with employees experiencing a thrill when swearing or using swear words to draw attention to themselves in a busy workplace."

She added: "That said, swear words often include a range of taboo words including sexual language, profanities, animal names, and vulgar terms, so this is part of why people find them offensive. Additionally, they are linked to negative emotions and our minds associate them with anger, even if they’re not used aggressively."
However, this isn't the first time we've written about the science of swearing. Check out this article all about how swearing can lead to greater gains at the gym.

If you have a stressful job or one where you get easily frustrated, then it's perhaps inevitable for some to develop a something of a foul-mouth.

However, a recent study claims that your average office bares witness to a quite remarkable amount of swearing each week.

The new research comes courtesy of UK-based communications company 4com, and appears to show that the average British office worker hears around 11 swear words from their colleagues each working day.

In a poll conducted by 4com, a shocking 25 percent of British office workers confessed to rarely reining in their tongue, and a further eight percent said that they never bothered to resist swearing in the workplace. Only a mere 20 per cent said they tried to never swear in front of their colleagues.

Commenting on 4com's findings, psychotherapist Dr. Jo Gee stated: "Studies suggest swearing can be beneficial, as the process of swearing is often cathartic, letting out pent-up emotion, as well as aiding storytelling or jokes. Perceptions of those who swear are also more likely to be linked to the words ‘honest’ and ‘credible.’"

She continued: "As to why people use them at work, alongside the above reasons, for some, offensive language might be a ‘test’ for the work setting – with employees experiencing a thrill when swearing or using swear words to draw attention to themselves in a busy workplace."

She added: "That said, swear words often include a range of taboo words including sexual language, profanities, animal names, and vulgar terms, so this is part of why people find them offensive. Additionally, they are linked to negative emotions and our minds associate them with anger, even if they’re not used aggressively."
However, this isn't the first time we've written about the science of swearing. Check out this article all about how swearing can lead to greater gains at the gym.