Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

When Moms Say Bad Words: Family And Peer Influence On The Frequency Of Swearing, Emily Simpson, Joshua Duarte, Brianna Bishop

The Pegasus Review: UCF Undergraduate Research Journal

Swearing is taboo in modern culture. Even though this habit is deemed negative, many people continue to swear frequently every day. The purpose of this study is to determine who exerts the most influence on one's swearing habits: one's family or one's peers? Seven hundred and sixty-three university students were asked via survey who (mother, father, siblings, friends, or peers) swore most frequently during their upbringing. These questions were compared through linear regression to measure participants' level of swearing. We anticipated that peers would have a more significant impact on one's swearing frequency. However, we found that an individual's mother …