Emotional crying provides an evolutionary advantage
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
confidence 84/100
Large-scale cross-cultural research supports the evolutionary hypothesis that emotional crying acts as a social glue, reliably eliciting empathy and social support from observers.
Evidence for · 2
Tears evoke the intention to offer social support: A systematic investigation of the interpersonal effects of emotional crying across 41 countries
2021 · cited by 28
A large-scale multinational study confirms that emotional tears consistently evoke the intention to offer social support, functioning as a social glue.
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More for · 1
Tears Trigger the Intention to Offer Social Support: A Systematic Investigation of the Interpersonal Effects of Emotional Crying Across 36 Countries
2020 · cited by 2
Cross-cultural research demonstrates that tearful crying elicits interpersonal support and serves an attachment function across diverse populations.