Florida, United States, December 27: Shedding some tears can often make people feel better and help them put things in perspective, a research study suggests.
University of South Florida psychologists, Jonathan Rottenberg and Lauren M. Bylsma, along with their colleague Ad J.J.M. Vingerhoets of Tilburg University, found that the benefits of crying depend entirely on the what, where and when of a particular crying episode.
The researchers studied the accounts of more than 3000 recent crying experiences outside the laboratory because crying in a laboratory setting often results in the study participants feeling worse; this may be due to the stressful conditions of the study itself, such as being videotaped or watched by research assistants. The laboratory setting may produce negative emotions (such as embarrassment), which neutralize the positive benefits usually associated with crying.
The researchers found that the majority of respondents reported improvements in their mood after a short period of crying. However, one third of the survey participants reported no improvement in mood and a tenth felt worse after crying. The survey also revealed that criers received social support during their crying episode.
However, the researchers noted that even in the laboratory studies criers do show calming effects such as slower breathing; but they also experience a lot of unpleasant stress and arousal, including increased heart rate and sweating. The interesting thing is that bodily calming usually lasts longer than the unpleasant arousal. The calming effects may occur later and overcome the stress reaction, which explains why people tend to remember mostly the pleasant side of crying.
Research has shown that the effects of crying also depend on ‘who’ is shedding the tears; people who lack insight into their emotional lives (a condition known as alexithymia) actually feel worse after crying. The study was published in Dec. issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
New Delhi, November 18 -- Since its outbreak in June this year, the H1N1 influenza has taken a widespread toll. With four more H1N1 deaths in India, the toll goes up to 530, as per an official statement.
We seeks happiness even as it continues to elude many of us. However, the fact is that if we focus our attention on other things and not strive for happiness itself, we will experience this emotion more often.
You have just met your Mr. Right and with all your womanly intuition you feel that he is the one you have been waiting for. You are excited, can`t stop smiling and your cheeks turn red the moment he enters.
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