A recent study indicates that men’s tears, particularly so-called 'crocodile tears', are more believable than women’s. Researchers found that participants perceived tears as honest signals when they came from individuals least expected to cry, notably men and women with low 'warmth' ratings. While emotional tears are generally viewed as genuine, the study revealed that context and the crier's identity influence perception. Unexpected tears are often assumed to have valid reasons behind them, highlighting the social dynamics of emotional expressions.
Emotional tears have been considered honest and sincere signals, most likely because they are difficult to shed on demand. At the same time, people acknowledge that tears can be strategically used to manipulate others - so-called crocodile tears.
Analysis revealed crocodile tears were most believable from people least expected to cry. This was mainly men, as well as women who ranked lower for 'warmth'.
We found that tears might be more socially beneficial when shed by people less expected to do so - for instance, by men or low-warmth people.
Previous research has provided clues on how to spot crocodile tears from the real thing. Scientists found that those who fake remorse show a greater range of emotional expressions and swing from one emotion to the other very quickly.
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