Anyone got a tissue around here? *SNIFFLE*
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Crying. Babies, teenagers, and adults do it. Do tears have a purpose, besides getting tissues wet?
Shani Agron and team from the Weizmann Institute of Science investigated.
They collected tears from six female donors. Separately, they had twenty-five male participants play a video game designed to provoke aggression.
Before beginning the game, participants sniffed either tears – OR a saline control mixture – ten times. A pad with either liquid was secured to the participants upper lip for continuous exposure.
During the game, the researchers measured the number of aggressive responses after a triggering event.
Results? Aggression levels in participants who sniffed tears dropped by FORTY-THREE percent! There was also lowered activity in the aggression center of the brain when imaged.
This finding shows that tears have chemical signals that can lower aggression!
So next time you’re ticked off, just think of Bambi’s mother!
*CHOKED UP* Oh boy, here they come…
Reference: Agron S, de March CA, Weissgross R, Mishor E, Gorodisky L, Weiss T, Furman-Haran E, Matsunami H, Sobel N. A chemical signal in human female tears lowers aggression in males. PLoS Biol. 2023 Dec 21;21(12):e3002442. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002442.