Crying or weeping can best be described as a typically human form of emotional expression. However, despite the vast literature on emotions and emotional disorders, this phenomenon surprisingly appears to have been neglected in behavioral science literature, as was already recognized by Borgquist (1906). Since that time no significant increase in the interest of researchers for this topic has been noted. In recent handbooks on emotions (e.g., Lewis & Haviland, 1993; Magai & McFadden, 1996; Oatley & Jenkins, 1996) hardly any attention is paid to adult crying.

The functions of crying

There is no doubt that crying is by nature a response to an emotional event, or to memories of or reflections on emotional events. The scarce literature on crying reveals the following two functions of this emotional expression: tension relief or catharsis (see, however, Cornelius, 1997) and communication, that is, making clear to others that one feels helpless and in need of comfort and support (e.g., Cornelius, 1997; Kottler, 1996). In addition, there is some evidence that crying can be used to manipulate others (Buss, 1992; Frijda, 1997; Kottler, 1996).

In current stress theory, the term “coping” refers to the behaviors and cognitions of an individual who is exposed to stressful situations, with the aim of eliminating stressors, reducing their intensity, or dampening emotional distress brought about by the confrontation with stressful events (Lazarus, 1991).