Moist. It’s just one of those words that’s cursed with a stigma of repulsion. Unlike its attractive counterparts that have the power to inspire, inform and describe, moist just seems to have zero sex appeal. At least as far as semantics goes… In fact, a recent study published in PLOS One journal revealed that 18% of American English-speakers have a “categorical aversion” to the word.
But why does the word ‘moist’ endure its reputation? In the wake of new research, scientists are maintaining that they’ve uncovered exactly what it is that makes ‘moist’ so nauseating. The study was led by Oberlin College’s Paul Thibodeau, a cognitive psychologist who developed three unique hypotheses explaining what gives ‘moist’ its abhorrent characteristics. These include the word’s connotations, the social perception that the word is sordid, and the actual sound of the word itself.
A trio of turn offs
Over five experiments Thibodeau studied reactions to a host of words, including ‘moist.’ Other variables included words referring to bodily functions (such as vomit and phlegm), sexual vocabulary and slang (such as p*ssy, f*ck and horny) and words that simply rhymed with moist (such as rejoiced and hoist).
Interestingly, he found that the sound of the word itself was a common source of repulsion. Participants who were “categorically averse” to ‘moist’ also cited a dislike for words such as ‘vomit’ and ‘phlegm’ which indicates that its affinitywithbodily fluidis a major turn off. Its negative social reputation was another keynote factor that triggered uncomfortable reactions.
The relationship between words and emotions
As well as uncovering why society has a dislike for the word, Thibodeaualso maintains that the study is an important exploration of how people process emotional words, in contrast to their neutral counterparts. Coupled with a natural revulsion for bodily fluids and strong social cues, the word ‘moist’ doesn’t stand a chance!
“Disgust is adaptive. If we didn’t have an instinct to run away from vomit and diarrhea, disease would spread more easily,"explainsThibodeau. "But is this instinct biological or do we learn it? Does our culture shape what we find disgusting? This is a complex and nuanced question. Significant work is needed to answer it definitively.But the present studies suggest that, when it comes to the disgust that is elicited by words like 'moist,' there is an important cultural component –the symbols we use to communicate with one another can become contaminated and elicit disgust by virtue of their association with bodily functions.”
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