Why Crying Improves Our Well-being: An Attachment-Theory Perspective on the Functions of Adult Crying

Hendriks, Michelle; Nelson, Judith Kay; Cornelius, Randolph R.; Vingerhoets, A.J.J.M.

doi:10.1007/978-0-387-29986-0_6

Cited by 40 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Similarly, other theorists emphasize the communicative aspects of crying, considering crying as serving to facilitate attachment and strengthen social bonds by eliciting caregiving and empathetic behaviors in others (e.g., Kottler, 1996;Nelson, 1998;Hendriks, Nelson, Cornelius, & vingerhoets, 2008). Crying has also been shown to be useful in inhibiting aggressive responses (Roes, 1990).…”

Section: Possible Mechanisms For Crying-related Catharsismentioning

confidence: 96%

When is Crying Cathartic? An International Study

Bylsma¹,

Vingerhoets²,

Rottenberg³

2008

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology

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The idea that crying is a cathartic experience, leading to relief from distress, has deep roots. however, empirical evidence for catharsis after crying is mixed. one explanation for the inconsistent results is that variations in the social context of the crying situation determine whether or not crying-related catharsis occurs. To evaluate the role of social context and other contextual features in crying-related catharsis, self-report data were collected on characteristics of the most recent crying episode and its effects on mood in 2,181 male and 2,915 female students in 35 countries. it was hypothesized that the experience of catharsis after crying would be associated with social support during crying, reasons for crying, and characteristics of the situation where the crying occurred. Several contextual features of crying episodes were indeed predictive of crying-related catharsis. Specifically, the receipt of social support, experiencing a resolution to the event that caused the crying episode, and achieving a new understanding of the event were positively related to catharsis. Crying episodes that featured the suppression of crying or the experiencing of shame from crying were less likely to be cathartic. The data suggest that contextual factors may play an important role in shaping crying-related catharsis.Catharsis is generally defined as the purging of emotions or relieving of emotional tensions. The idea of emotional catharsis dates

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Section: Possible Mechanisms For Crying-related Catharsismentioning

confidence: 96%

When is Crying Cathartic? An International Study

Bylsma¹,

Vingerhoets²,

Rottenberg³

2008

Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology

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“…Consistent with the possibility that mood pathology alters the consequences of crying [Rottenberg et al, 2002], patients in this study reported less mood improvement after crying than their nonpsychiatric counterparts. Theories have proposed that mood improvement after healthy crying is due to endogenous physiological factors associated with crying [increased parasympathetic activity, Rottenberg et al, 2003], or from the success of crying in securing help from the social environment [see Cornelius, 1997, 2001 andHendriks et al, in press for reviews]. Consequently, the finding of reduced mood improvement after depressed crying may reflect physiological deficits, a reduced ability of patients to draw comfort and attention from the social environment, and/or simply that the situations that evoke depressed crying [e.g., memories of loss and failure, Teasdale, 1988] are not as easily corrected as the situations that lead healthy individuals to cry.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do mood disorders alter crying? a pilot investigation

2008

Self Cite

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Clinical commentators widely interpret crying as a sign of depressed mood. However, there is virtually no empirical data on this topic, and the evidence that mood disorders alter crying is surprisingly weak. This study compared mood disordered patients to a nonpsychiatric reference group on the frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior using a well-validated questionnaire measure of crying. Forty-four outpatients diagnosed with three forms of mood pathology were age and gender matched to a reference group of 132 participants sampled to be representative of the Dutch population. Both groups completed the Adult Crying Inventory, which provides estimates of the self-reported frequency, antecedents, and consequences of crying behavior. Depression severity and psychiatric symptom severity data were also collected from patients. Compared with the reference group, patients with mood pathology reported increased cry proneness to negative antecedents. By contrast, patients and controls did not differ in reported cry proneness to positive antecedents. Patients reported less mood improvement after crying than did controls. Among male patients, but not female patients, depression severity was associated with increased crying proneness and increased crying frequency. This pilot investigation suggests that mood disorders increase the frequency of negative emotional crying, and may also alter the functions of this behavior. Mood disorders may influence male crying to a greater extent than female crying. Future directions designed to clarify the causal pathways between mood disorders and alterations in crying behavior are discussed.

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“…Theory suggests that crying communicates that one is vulnerable, suffering, and/or in need of aid (Hendriks, Nelson, et al, 2008) and has benefits for the crier in terms of the empathy, sympathy, pity and/or comfort that it elicits (Buss, 1992;Cornelius, 1997Cornelius, , 2001Hendriks, Croon, et al, 2008;Keltner & Kring, 1998). On this basis, we suspected that crying might be used by DO persons to engage support (i.e., 'instrumental crying; ' Cornelius, 1997' Cornelius, , 2001.…”

Section: Personality and Crying In Relational Contextsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recall that DO is characterized by a needy, non-reciprocal, and clingy style of relating that likely creates friction inside relationships. Crying in relationships is common (Frey et al, 1983), and conflict and reunion are major contexts for crying (Avery, 1983;Hendriks, Nelson, Cornelius, & Vingerhoets, 2008) that may be differentially common among persons high in DO.…”

Section: Crying: the Link To Personality Functioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crying in Context: Understanding Associations With Interpersonal Dependency and Social Support

Fiori

Consedine

Denckla

et al. 2013

IJPR

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This study examines the associations among interpersonal dependency, social support, and crying proneness, since crying is a behavior that is particularly relevant to the affiliative interpersonal goals characterizing maladaptive forms of dependency (Keltner & Kring, 1998). Data were collected from 305 first-year university students (M age = 18 years). A series of hierarchical linear regressions, controlling for gender, commuting status, romantic relationship status, stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms, partially supported our hypotheses. That is, we found that a measure of maladaptive dependency (destructive overdependence, or DO) and crying proneness were positively correlated, and that DO moderated the associations between social support and crying proneness. Specifically, we found that social support and crying were more closely positively associated among individuals high on DO compared to individuals low on DO. Our findings imply that interpersonal dependency may be an important factor in understanding individual differences in crying, and in determining whether crying is a successful elicitor of social support.

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Why Crying Improves Our Well-being: An Attachment-Theory Perspective on the Functions of Adult Crying

Cited by 40 publications

References 19 publications

When is Crying Cathartic? An International Study

When is Crying Cathartic? An International Study

Do mood disorders alter crying? a pilot investigation

Crying in Context: Understanding Associations With Interpersonal Dependency and Social Support

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