Woman's Tears Can Change Men's Behavior Once They Smell It Despite Its Lack of Odor [Study]

Women's tears could affect the behavior of men toward them. One study suggests that tears could make men less aggressive once they smell it despite its lack of odor.

Women's Tears Could Change Men's Behavior

A new study found a certain chemical signal in human female tears that lowers aggression among men. Before engaging in a competitive game, men who smelled a woman's tears exhibited notably less aggression.

Though it hasn't always been generally known scientifically, crying is a normal reaction to sadness. The paper notes that the occurrence seemed to have no "apparent function," which perplexed Charles Darwin himself. However, current research indicates that this might not be the case.

Rodents are also capable of crying, and males become less hostile when they detect the scent of female tears. It is a type of social chemosignaling, which is the process by which various substances elicit different responses. Rodents are also capable of crying, and males become less hostile when they detect the scent of female tears. It is a type of social chemosignaling, which is the process by which various substances elicit different responses.

"Given previous findings showing lower testosterone levels in men following sniffing tears and the findings in rodents showing that tears reduce aggression, we hypothesized that tears would act the same in humans; however, we were surprised by the size of the effect in the lab," Agron explained.

Agron exposed a group of men to saline or women's tears, without telling them which, in order to arrive at her conclusions. They were playing a game that was intended to elicit aggressive behavior when they were introduced to the drug. The men, for instance, were made to feel as though the other player was cheating, which ordinarily results in "revenge-seeking behavior."

The men were able to get revenge on the opposing player when the time came. Researchers found that when men smelled women's tears, the percentage of those who chose to exact retribution on the "cheating" player dropped by more than 40%.

"A 44 percent reduction is not something typically seen in lab settings. It was also surprising to learn that some olfactory system smell receptors can respond to tears despite their lack of odor," Agron added.

Sniffing Women's Tears Could Dampen Sexual Desire

Women's tears could not just make men less aggressive, a previous study claimed it could also dampen a man's sexual desire.

When males smelled women's tears, the researchers saw a little but consistent decline in men's sexual sensations. However, the chemicals or compounds that are likely responsible may largely function by inhibiting aggression, which in turn lowers sexual desire.

"It is easy to see the advantage of having such a chemical signal in tears," said Noam Sobel at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, who led the research. "Basically, you are protecting yourself when you are vulnerable."

Tears contain a wide range of substances, including proteins, enzymes, and waste products from metabolism, and are secreted by the lachrymal and meibomian glands. However, emotional tears differ greatly chemically from tears secreted as a defense mechanism, such as when grit gets in the eye.

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