Physiological stress response to cuss words?
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Physiological stress response to cuss words?
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[post_date] => 2024-12-28 08:30:38
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[post_content] => Practice Passage (Question 1-5)
*This passage is the property of Khan Academy and has been reformatted into an AAMC-style interface in their entirety by MedLife Mastery. MedLife Mastery does not endorse and is not an affiliate of Khan Academy.
Language usage can impact the individual in many ways. There are strong internal and external influences that shape and moderate the words that are chosen when speaking. Linguists study taboo words in a variety of contexts including the media, harassment, aggression, as well as many others. Profanity (taboo words) can be expressed in many different modalities, and gestures, behaviors, and words can all be labeled as profane. Profanity is used in many situations depending on the person and is viewed as taboo by some cultures. Often, the use of profane words can evoke strong emotions in both the speaker and the listener.
Linguistic researchers conducted a study to determine whether profane language use caused a stronger stress response in the speaker than the use of neutral words. Each speaker was instructed to read aloud words belonging to one of four categories: words viewed by Western society as profane, neutral words (not emotionally linked such as glue or paper), euphemisms for profane words (such as ‘C-word’ or ‘the F-word’ rather than actually saying the word), or neutral word euphemisms (‘G-word’ rather than green). The speaker’s stress response was recorded through galvanic skin response (a measurement of skin resistance or electrodermal activity). The researcher then asked the respondent if the word was profanity (yes or no). The results are shown in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: Mean electrodermal activity, effect of profane words condition was significant (p < .05)
[post_title] => Physiological stress response to cuss words?
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[question] => What is the likely meaning of taboo when used to describe profanity?
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[answer] => 1
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Groupthink is a desire for conformity which causes an irrational decision.
Folkways are standards which when broken do not result in moral disapproval.
Mores are more strict than folkways and are based on cultures’ definition of moral and ethical behavior.
Profanity includes words that when spoken cause individuals to respond with extreme disgust. In this case, profanity, especially profanity that is racially motivated or describes taboo behaviors, would fit this category.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Profanity includes words that when spoken cause individuals to respond with extreme disgust.
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[each_answer] => B. The use of profanity depends on harmony or conformity to a group that results in an irrational decision, to use profanity.
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[each_answer] => C. Profanity is not a morally significant transgression against behavioral standards.
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[each_answer] => D. The acceptance of profanity is based on definitions of moral and ethical behavior.
)
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[1] => Array
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[quiz_unique_key] => 3873426850
[question] => What impact could an in-group acceptance of profanity cause when the speaker is surprised or in pain?
[value] => Array
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[answer] => 1
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
An in-group is a social group that the speaker would find identification as a member meaningful.
Neutral words are words without emotional connotations.
The speaker would still find profanity unacceptable in most instances.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. The speaker would still find profanity unacceptable in most instances.
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[each_answer] => B. The speaker would not use profanity in all instances.
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[each_answer] => C. The speaker would be less likely to utilize profanity with the in-group.
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[each_answer] => D. The speaker would replace profane words with neutral words when around the social group.
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[2] => Array
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[quiz_unique_key] => 83407773
[question] => Which hormone would likely be released when an individual experienced the levels of stress exhibited in the speakers given profane words?
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[answer] => 1
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Testosterone is a sex hormone.
Glucagon is released by the pancreas. It raises the glucose concentration in the bloodstream when it falls too low.
Oxytocin is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and is important in maternal bonding.
Epinephrine is a catecholamine released from the central nervous system in response to stress.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Epinephrine
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[each_answer] => B. Oxytocin
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[each_answer] => C. Glucagon
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[each_answer] => D. Testosterone
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[3] => Array
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[quiz_unique_key] => 2261298308
[question] => How might these findings support linguistic relativity?
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[answer] => 2
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Behaviorism requires that language can be acquired through learning.
Noam Chomsky was a nativist who believed that language structures and traits are universal across all human languages.
Profanity, at least in part, evokes negative emotional states. This statement supports the theory of linguistic relativity.
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[answers] => Array
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. Language expression is a socially learned behavior.
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[1] => Array
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[each_answer] => B. Profanity, at least in part, evokes negative emotional states.
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[each_answer] => C. The individual defines taboos in language.
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[each_answer] => D. The linguistic structures and aversions to usage are universal throughout language.
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[quiz_unique_key] => 574431310
[question] => What relationship can be determined between profane and neutral words based on Figure 1?
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[answer] => 2
[description] => Reason for the Correct Answer:
Every type of word elicited a detectable stress response.
The neutral words elicited a lower response compared to the neutral word euphemisms until after 4 seconds.
Profane words have a substantial effect on the stress created when violating a verbal taboo.
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[0] => Array
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[each_answer] => A. The replacement of neutral words with neutral word euphemisms does not cause a stress response.
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[each_answer] => B. Profane words have a substantial effect on the stress created when violating a verbal taboo.
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[2] => Array
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[each_answer] => C. Neutral words elicit higher stress response than neutral word euphemisms.
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[each_answer] => D. The stress response elicited is greater for neutral word euphemisms after 8 seconds than neutral words.
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Figure 1