Tears Evoke the Intention to Offer Social Support: A Systematic Investigation of the Interpersonal Effects of Emotional Crying Across 41 Countries
Authors: Zickfeld Janis , van de Ven Niels , Pich Olivia , Schubert Thomas W. , Berkessel Jana , Pizarro Carrasco José J. , Hartanto Andree , Çolak Tuğba Seda , Śmieja Magdalena , Arriaga Patricia , Vaughn Leigh Ann , Lazarevic Ljiljana B. , Baban Adriana , Nussinson Ravit , Gracanin Asmir , Carrera Pilar , Stewart Suzanne , Doğan Uğur , Ferreira Diogo Conque Seco , Li Yansong , Manley Harry , Hareli Shlomo , Barzykowski Krystian , ARUTA JOHN JAMIR BENZON R. , Vatakis Argiro , IJzerman Hans , Burak Elif Gizem Demirag , Vally Zahir , Özdoğru Asil Ali , Ebert Tobias , Bulut Tara , Mentser Sari , Sharman Leah S , Verschuere Bruno , Ito Kenichi , Ibanez Agustin , Choi Eunsoo , Tcherkassof Anna , Kocsel Natália , Schwerdtfeger Andreas R. , Bavolar Jozef , Barbosa Sergio , Estrada-Mejia Catalina , Schönefeld Victoria , Wu Yang , Stadel Marie , Götz Friedrich Martin , Schrover Elke , Malik Sadia , Stanke Franziska A. , Dumont Kitty , Kökönyei Gyöngyi , Chittham Phakkanun , Morvinski Coby , Nakayama Masataka , Uchida Yukiko , Sato Wataru , García Adolfo , Sikka Pilleriin , Jose Paul , Dodaj Arta , Daniels Judith , Konova Irina , Bobowik Magdalena , CABALLERO AMPARO , Kolen Anouk , Mefoh Philip Chukwuemeka , Vanman Eric John , Vuoskoski Jonna Katariina , Eskisu Mustafa , Martínez-Zelaya Gonzalo , Vingerhoets Ad , Boudesseul Jordane , Bhushan Braj , Kardum Igor , Escobar Josefina , Shankland Rebecca , Majeed Nadyanna M. , LEKKOU ELEIMONITRIA , del Carmen Espinoza Maria , Karsten Julie , Maeura Nao , Shani Yaniv , Villar Sergio , Kremer Inbal , Ng Wee Qin , Sesar Kristina , Rentfrow Jason , Peltola Henna-Riikka , Haque Shamsul , Su-May Terri Tan , Ong Chew Wei , Schorch Sebastian , Páez Darío , Kačmár Pavol , Zheng Michelle Xue , Sebena Rene , Ballada Christine Joy , Blaut Agata , Balt Nina F , Martins Diogo , Orjiakor Charles 
Published: November 2020

Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and likely uniquely human phenomenon. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue by evoking social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were conducted almost exclusively on participants from North America and Europe, resulting in limited generalizability. This project examined the tears-social support intentions effect and possible mediating and moderating variables in a fully pre-registered study across 7,007 participants (24,886 ratings) and 41 countries spanning all populated continents. Participants were presented with four pictures out of 100 possible targets with or without digitally-added tears. We confirmed the main prediction that seeing a tearful individual elicits the intention to support, d = .49 [.43, .55]. Our data suggest that this effect could be mediated by perceiving the crying target as warmer and more helpless, feeling more connected, as well as feeling more empathic concern for the crier, but not by an increase in personal distress of the observer. The effect was moderated by the situational valence, identifying the target as part of one’s group, and trait empathic concern. A neutral situation, high trait empathic concern, and low identification increased the effect. We observed high heterogeneity across countries that was, via split-half validation, best explained by country-level GDP per capita and subjective well-being with stronger effects for higher-scoring countries. These findings suggest that tears can function as social glue, providing one possible explanation why emotional crying persists into adulthood.