Age-Related Changes in the Signal Value of Tears:

Evolutionary Psychology

Debra M. Zeifman¹ 

关键词: crying;    distress vocalizations;    emotional tears;    emotion;    facial expression;   

DOI  :  10.1177/147470491100900304

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Sage Journals

【 摘 要 】

Emotional tears may be uniquely human and are an effective signal of distress in adults. The present study explored whether tears signal distress in younger criers and whether the effect of tears on observers is similar in magnitude across the life span. Participants rated photographs of crying infants, young children, and adults, with tears digitally removed or added. The effectiveness of tears in conveying sadness and eliciting sympathy was greatest for images of adults, intermediate for images of children, and least potent for images of infants. These findings suggest that the signal value of tears varies with the age of the crier. The results may shed light on the functional significance of crying at different stages of human development.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC