SWEARING makes people seem more honest and trustworthy to others, a study says.
Shoppers rated online reviews of products more useful if they included expletives, experts found.
A study says that swearing makes people seem more trustworthy to othersAlamy
Adding swear words to comments also makes them appear more authentic, researchers said.
They made the findings after studying 92,433 Amazon reviews of 54 products including bags, shoes and mobile phones.
Those containing a personal opinion were considered most helpful, especially if accompanied by an oath or two.
Tests on 300 people also determined that putting swear words into reviews made them appear to be more genuine.
Yet there is a “sweet spot” for four-letter language and it is best used sparingly and in positive situations.
Prof Billy Sung, who led the study, said: “We found that profanity increased the perceived helpfulness of reviews that appeared to be based on facts.
“It may create an impression of authenticity and relatability and has been associated with higher believability.
“These findings are in line with research showing that polite language can be perceived as calculated and inauthentic.”
Prof Sung, of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, added: “Our findings suggest there’s an emotional ‘sweet spot’ where a speaker providing too little emotional information may appear to be inauthentic.
“Too much may make them appear irrational.”
He said sites could encourage consumers to write more honest and helpful reviews by allowing swearing.
