Week 5 - Crying Flashcards
unproven claims about crying
- crying is beneficial, bringing relief and promoting health
- crying has played a key role in human evolution, contributing to our development as ultrasocial beings
study of crying
highlights how emotion can be approached from various perspectives and disciplines
types of tears
- basal tears
- reflex or irritant tears
- emotional tears
basal tears
tears that keep your eyes moist and protect them from drying out
reflex or irritant tears
produced when you chop onions or when smoke irritates your eyes. they help wash away irritants and protect the eye
emotional tears
they help regulate emotional states by releasing stress hormones and other chemicals
antecedents of crying
- loss, grief
- divorce, break up
- separation
- conflict
- loneliness, solitude
- pain, suffering
- physical pain
tears of the therapist
- feeling moved by the client’s suffering or emotional experience
- when the client’s story resonates with the therapist
- witnessing the client’s growth throughout therapy
- seeing the client make positive changes
- experiencing the conclusion of theory
- when a client expresses gratitude
- observing how the therapy helps accelerate the client’s progress
- serving as a model for the client on how to process grief
why ‘happy’ tears do not exist
- event when tears appear to be from happiness, there is often some negative emotion in the background
- in moments of seeming happy tears, people tend to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of the positive emotions
individual differences in crying may be related to
- sex
- age
- temperament or personality
- attachment style
- socialization and culture
- mental/physical health conditions
- stressful experiences
- becoming a parent
- diseases
- being in a relationship
TearAid
examines the impact of tearful images of refugees on two types of prosocial intentions and behaviors
- autonomy-related help (aimed at promoting refugees’ independence)
- dependency-oriented help (aimed at alleviating immediate suffering through aid like food and shelter)
crying effect on health
not being able to cry can have negative effects, and crying can make one feel better
crying effect on mood
crying improves mood over time—through the release of oxytocin and relation
crying effect on social
crying strengthens empathy, connection, and social support
crying effect on interpersonal
crying evokes empathy, closeness, and helping behavior in others by activating specific brain regions
