Why Cry

Crying.

Sad, happy, stress, fear...whatever the reason we've all done it. But the question is why?

University of South Florida psychologists Jonathan Rottenberg and Lauren M. Bylsma describe some of their recent findings about the psychology of crying in the December issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science.

From Impact Lab...

Shedding some tears can often make us feel better and help us put things in perspective. But why is crying beneficial?

The psychologists analyzed the detailed accounts of more than 3000 recent crying experiences and found that the majority of respondents reported improvements in their mood following a bout of crying. However, one third of the survey participants reported no improvement in mood and a tenth felt worse after crying. The survey also revealed that criers who received social support during their crying episode were the most likely to report improvements in mood.

Anyone for a some Smokey...