The Surprising Impact of Human Tears
Anger, pain, helplessness, happiness, and sorrow evoke tears in the eyes of most individuals. Now, scientists have revealed a fascinating effect of human tears. The sight of tears reduces aggression or anger in other individuals, as per a recent study published in the journal PLOS Biology. The research suggests that women's tears can reduce aggression or anger in men by up to 40%.
In fact, when men see women's tears, changes occur in their brains, and scientists believe that a similar effect occurs in individuals when witnessing tears, regardless of gender. Researchers pointed out that the discovery of a reduction in anger or aggression due to tears was surprising. In a previous study by the same team of scientists, it was found that women's tears decrease the levels of hormones associated with increasing aggression in men. However, until now, the impact of tears on reducing aggression had not been observed in real-life situations.
For this new study, six women were shown emotional films, and the tears shed were collected. Subsequently, 31 men were included in the research. Some were exposed to a saline mixture, while others were exposed to the scent of women's tears. Afterward, these men were instructed to play a computer game known to increase aggressive behavior. The results showed that men who smelled women's tears experienced a 43.7% reduction in aggressive behavior while playing the game.
Following this, brain scans of the men revealed that the areas of the brain associated with emotion and aggression became less active, while the activities of brain cells associated with increasing aggression decreased. According to researchers, the chemical impact of tears was astonishing, and it is not yet clear why this occurs. They suggested that the reduction in aggressive behavior, triggered by tears, may have evolutionary benefits in providing protection for vulnerable children.
Researchers noted that tears' chemical effects do not seem to have specific effects on the social relationships of adults with reduced aggressive behavior. However, it appears that the impact of tears is evolutionary, serving to protect vulnerable children. They further stated that individuals who resort to anger and aggression by speaking cannot be easily stopped; they are, in fact, helpless. In such situations, tears from these individuals reduce the anger or aggression of adults.
No comments:
Post a Comment