engleski

The communicative and social functions of human crying

Why do humans produce emotional tears? We propose that the answer to this question can be found in the inter-individual functions of emotional crying. The basic assumption is that emotional tears represent a means of communication, which has evolved from distress or separation calls displayed by other animals as well. The reactions of others, however, are the crucial factor that pushed forward the evolution of this phylogenetically new behavior. We substantiate this claim by discussing the ontogenetic development of crying, which sets the stage for explaining the ways this signal could have evolved. We further evaluate the signal value of tears in the context of the events and emotional states that precede or accompany crying, as well as of the consequences of crying for the crying individual. This allows us to conclude that tears predominantly represent a signal of helplessness and pro-social intentions.

Emotional tears ; crying ; evolution ; signaling function ; helplessness ; pro-social behavior ; weeping

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