 An unusual study carried out with Harris and Aycicegi, "Taboo words and reprimands elicit greater autonomic reactivity in a first language than in a second language" (2003), investigated the involuntary psychophysiological reactions of bilingual speakers to taboo words.Thirtytwo TurkishEnglish bilinguals judged an array of words and phrases for "pleasantness" in Turkish (their first language), and in English (their second), while their skin conductance was monitored via fingertip electrodes.Participants manifested greater autonomic arousal in response to taboo words and childhood reprimands in their first language than to those in their second language, confirming the commonplace claim that speakers of two languages are less uncomfortable speaking taboo words and phrases in their second language than in their native language.