How Crying Can Help You, Here Is What A Study Says

It may be good to cry out loud. (Photo: Getty Images)

They say that there's no sense in crying over spilled milk. But what do they know? Crying can get you another glass of milk if you do it loud enough. Plus, crying may serve a real physiologic purpose, according to a study published recently in Emotion, meaning the journal and not in an Emo-kind of way.

For the study, three researchers from the University of Queensland (Leah S. Sharman, Genevieve A. Dingle, and Eric J. Vanman) and one from Tilberg University (Ad J. J. M. Vingerhoets) recruited 197 female undergraduate students. They said that they choose all women rather than including men because pilot testing of sad videos had revealed that more women than men cried or at least more women revealed that they were crying. This did not account for the men who cried inside or used some bro-language or high fives to hide the crying.

The research team then showed each of the study participants either a video that are supposed to make them feel sad (sad videos) or a video that was not supposed to elicit any emotion (neutral videos) like something from a documentary or a ted talk. Each video lasted for close to 18 minutes. After the video, the researchers noted whether or not each participant had cried while watching the video. Ultimately, 65 participants watched the neutral video, 71 watched the sad video and cried during it, and 61 watched the sad video and did not cry. Presumably, no one cried during the neutral video. But then again, actor Bryce Dallas Howard was able to cry when Conan O'Brien talked about Home Depot in this Conan clip:

Then, each participant underwent a Cold Pressor Stress Test (CPT), which involved placing the participant's left hand, up to the wrist, in cold 0° to 5°C water. Unless you are the Iceman or Killer Frost, this is supposed to be painful. The research team measured how long each participant could stay in this position until pulling her hand out of the water. During the study, the research team continuously measured each participant's heart rate and respiratory rate and periodically measured cortisol levels from saliva samples. Cortisol is a stress-hormone that's produced by the body.

Also, at four points during the study, participants answered questions from the Positive and Negative Affect Scale short form (PANAS). These questions asked the degree to which the participant was experiencing ten different emotions and to rank each on a five-point scale that ranged from a one (very slightly or not at all) to a five (extremely).

When it came to cortisol levels and how long the participants could keep their hands submerged in the cold water, the study ended up finding not much difference between the neutral video watchers, the sad video non-criers, and the sad video criers. So if you are about to dunk yourself in cold water or take a cold shower, it may not help to cry first.

But here's a difference that the study found. Are you ready? Take a deep breath. The difference was breathing rates. While watching the videos, the non-criers tended to have elevations in their breathing rates, whereas, by contrast, the criers tended to maintain their initial breathing rates. In other words, tearing up could have helped participants better control their breathing rates. This provides further evidence that crying may help you better regulate arousal, serving as an emotional release.

Another interesting finding was that right before crying, participants tended to experience decreases in their heart rates, seemingly in anticipation of the crying. Once the crying began, their heart rates then tended to creep back up but not above where their heart rates had been before everything began. This may be further evidence that crying has a beneficial regulatory effect on your physiology.

So perhaps next time you start crying you can tell people that you are regulating your physiology. You've probably heard of people saying that they had a good cry and feel better after they've let the tears flow. It can be important to find reasonable ways to periodically release your emotions. Otherwise, you may end up bottling everything up like a hot air balloon that can explode when you least expect it.

Moreover, crying can be a way of communicating. It's really the only way that babies can express their needs before they learn how to say things like "why you throwing shade on me," or "I'm not Gucci." Crying can help communicate to others that you need more sympathy, comfort, or help. Of course, this can be misused. You don't want to cry every time your order at a restaurant doesn't come out right. And of course, there is the whole concept of crocodile tears: people crying to get something when they don't really mean it.

Crying can also be a way of communicating with yourself. Even when you cry alone, you may be telling yourself about your own state because, like many people, you could be terrible at studying your own emotions and situation. Tears could be your body's way of saying, "hey, take a break," or "something's not right," or "take care of yourself." Tearing up can then be a way of your body literally crying out to you.

Your body is a complex system. Crying can be complex. Your tears can flow when you are very sad, very angry, or even very happy. Better understanding what causes us to cry and what happens as a result could help us better handle our emotions and stress.

Researchers in various studies looking for participants

This study investigates how pronunciation could influence comprehensibility. Researchers are looking for native speakers of English to rate comprehensibility.

The participant will listen to English sentences pronounced by non-native speakers and rate how easy it is to understand them. They will also be asked to provide information on the proficiency in the language(s) they speak. Participation in the study will take approximately 40 minutes. Individuals will participate online at the time and place of their choice. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card.

Individuals interested in participating should contact co-principal investigator Chien-Min Kuo at kuo79@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-724.

Researchers are seeking 4- and 5-year-old children with speech-language delays to participate in a study of word learning.

There will be one to two sessions of testing to determine eligibility, followed by six research sessions if eligible. Each research session also includes general language enrichment activities centered on children’s books. Families receive $10 per session and a speech, language and hearing evaluation for their child. These one-hour sessions are scheduled at Purdue in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Lyles-Porter Hall.

The principal investigator is Laurence Leonard, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences. For more information, contact Pat Deevy at 765-496-1821 or deevy@purdue.edu. IRB#: 1603017480  

Researchers are seeking children to participate in a study of word learning. Children ages 4 to 5 ½ years old are eligible (stated in terms of age in months: 49 months through 70 months).

Families receive $10 per session and a speech, language and hearing evaluation for their child. Six one-hour sessions are scheduled at Purdue in the Department of Speech, Language, & Hearing Sciences in Lyles-Porter Hall.

The principal investigator is Laurence Leonard, professor of speech, language and hearing sciences. For more information, contact Pat Deevy at 765-496-1821 or deevy@purdue.edu. IRB#: 1603017480.

This research study is assessing the effects of including vitamin D-enriched mushrooms as a part of participants' usual eating patterns on measures of immune function, inflammatory status and vitamin D status.

This study seeks men and women who are willing to consume vitamin D-enriched mushrooms or portioned, dried study powder for 12 weeks. Vitamin D-enriched mushrooms will be provided. Participants are required to attend six study visits at the research site over approximately a four-month period. Participants will be compensated $200 for participating in this study.

Interested participants should be ages 30 to 69, in general good health, nonsmokers, and nonpregnant. Other criteria for study participation apply. If you are interested in participating in this study, contact Luz Comboni at lcomboni@purdue.edu and mention the “Vitamin D-Enriched Mushroom Study.”

The principal investigator is Wayne Campbell, professor in the Department of Nutrition Science. IRB# IRB-2022-750

Individuals ages 18-40 are needed to participate in a study on perception of emotional sounds. Participants must be nonsmokers with normal hearing and vision (contacts or glasses are OK); no history of diabetes, heart attack or stroke; and no speech, language, reading, cognitive or neurological disorder.

Participants will be paid $15 per hour for one session, approximately one hour long (maximum of 1.5 hours). The study involves listening to sounds designed to evoke a variety of emotional responses. The noise is presented at levels below those known to be harmful to hearing.

This study is being conducted in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact Alexander L. Francis, principal investigator and professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, at SPACElab@purdue.edu. Include IRB #2023-908 in your subject header. IRB-2023-908.

Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) Laboratory from the Department of Health and Kinesiology is looking for children ages 10-12 to participate in research on what children feel and think during exercise as well as how exercise may influence attention.

To participate in this research, children need to pass a cardiovascular health screening, be free of prior diagnosis of cognitive disorders, have normal or corrected-to-normal vision and be able to perform exercise and speak English.

Participation in this research requires two visits on separate days to Lambert Fieldhouse. Each visit may last 1.5 hours and will involve computer games and an exercise test. Participation in this study will be compensated by a maximum total of $60.

Individuals who are interested in this research or have any questions should email khatrir@purdue.edu. Professor Shih-Chun Kao in the Department of Health and Kinesiology is the principal investigator. IRB-2022-1406.

Children who have language difficulty are needed for a study on how the brain combines sight and sound.

To participate, children must meet the following criteria:

Children will participate in up to eight research sessions. Each session will last 1.5-2 hours. During the first two sessions, standardized tests will be administered that will evaluate children’s nonverbal intelligence and language skills. During the last six session, children’s brain activity will be recorded with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings) while they are doing different tasks. There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been safely used with infants, children and adults. Families can withdraw at any time.

Benefits for families:

For more information or to participate, contact Jennifer Schumaker at jschumak@purdue.edu or 765-494-4445 (leave a message). Learn more about the lab online.

The primary investigator is Natalya Kaganovich, Natalya Kaganovich, associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences and psychological sciences. IRB#: 0909008484.

School-aged children are needed for the study on how the brain combines sight and sound.

To participate, children must meet the following criteria: 

Children will participate in up to eight research sessions. Each session will last 1.5-2 hours. During the first two sessions, standardized tests will be administered that will evaluate children’s nonverbal intelligence and language skills. During the last six session, children’s brain activity will be recorded with the help of a special cap with built-in electrodes (similar to EEG recordings) while they are doing different tasks. There is no discomfort involved, and the method has been safely used with infants, children and adults. Families can withdraw at any time.

Benefits for families:

For more information or to participate, contact Jennifer Schumaker at jschumak@purdue.edu or 765-494-4445 (leave a message). Learn more about the lab online.

The primary investigator is Natalya Kaganovich, Natalya Kaganovich, associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences and psychological sciences. IRB#: 0909008484.

Young adults ages 18-30 are needed to participate in a research study on how cognitive changes occur as a result of HIIT and mindfulness activity. 

Participants will be compensated $45 total for completing the study. Participation requires one visit to the Lambert Fieldhouse. The visit may last 2.5-3 hours, involving questionnaires, computer games, interval exercise and exam of brain activation (i.e., electroencephalogram [EEG]).

For more information, contact the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health Lab at panchlaboratory@purdue.edu in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. Professor Shih-Chun Kao in the Department of Health and Kinesiology is the principal investigator. IRB-2022-1416.

The International Center for Biometric Research is looking for participants to test the performance of multiple fingerprint recognition systems. Outcomes of the study will help in furthering the understanding of the performance and how to Excellerate the fingerprint recognition systems based on the collected data.  Participants should be age 18 and older and know and understand English. The study will consist of one 40-minute lab visit at Young Hall, Room B020. Participants will receive compensation of $20 at the completion of their visit.

Those interested in participating should follow the instructions below:  

The principal investigator is Stephen Elliott, head of the Department of Technology Leadership and Innovation. Any questions regarding the study can be addressed to elliott@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-1378. 

Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) Laboratory from the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Purdue is looking for children ages 10-12 to participate in a research study on what children feel and think during exercise as well as how exercise may influence attention.

To participate in this research, children need to pass cardiovascular health screening, be free of prior diagnosis of cognitive disorders, have normal or corrected-to-normal vision, and able to perform exercise and speak English.

Participation in this research requires two visits on separate days to Lambert Fieldhouse. Each visit may last 1.5 hours and will involve computer games and an exercise test. Participation in this study will be compensated by a maximum total of $60. 

To participate or for more information, email khatrir@purdue.edu. Shih-Chun Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, is the principal investigator. IRB-2022-1406.

Researchers in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies are seeking families with children between the ages of 40 and 66 months (approximately 3.5-5.5 years) to participate in a study on child-mother interactions and storytelling.

Participation in the study includes two short visits (15 minutes and 10 minutes) in the participant’s home and one laboratory visit on Purdue's campus (90-100 minutes). In addition, mothers will answer some questionnaires. Parents must be 18 years or older to be eligible to participate. A payment of $30 will be given to participating mothers as appreciation for their time.

The principal investigator is German Posada, professor of human development and family studies. Individuals who are interested and/or want more information should contact German Posada at 765-494-1029 or gposada@purdue.edu, Geurim Kim at kim2959@purdue.edu or Muqing Liu at liu2547@purdue.edu or at familyinteractionslab@purdue.edu. Individuals area asked to indicate their child’s name and date of birth, their name, telephone or email, and best time to be contacted. IRB No. 2021-1189.

Do you make bad decisions when you are upset? Do you find yourself doing things you think you will probably later regret? Individuals who answer yes to both questions are being sought for a brain imaging study.

Participant must also fit the following eligibility requirements:

To sign up, fill out a quick Qualtrics survey (2 minutes) to determine eligibility. 

If eligible, individuals will be contacted further via email or phone. After study completion, participants will receive $25/hour for the fMRI/MRI portion of the experiment and receive $10/hour for the non-fMRI/MRI portion of the experiment. 

The principal investigator is Sébastien Hélie, professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences. IRB# 2020-322.

Researcher in the Antiracism, Resistance, Identity, Socialization, and Equity (ARISE) Lab study how talking about race, ethnicity and culture impacts identity development and mental health.

Researchers are recruiting:

By filling out this short 1–3-minute survey, individuals can be added to the lab’s email list. They will have the option to sign up for newsletters that will share resources, an advice column and fun features like pop culture news and recipes from their community that are family-friendly. Individuals can also sign up for the lab’s participant pool to receive invitations to ongoing studies.

Participation in studies would involve tasks such as completing brief and potentially compensated anonymous surveys or interviews to share personal experiences and perspectives so researchers can learn more about multiracial and Asian American youth and families.

Questions can be directed to Annabelle Atkin, principal investigator and assistant professor of human development and family science, at ariselab123@gmail.com. IRB-2023-249.

Adults ages 18-55 with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss are needed for a study to evaluate how sounds are processed in the human brain. The procedure consists of recording electrical activity from the brain (using EEG type electrodes attached to the head) in response to various sounds presented through earphones at comfortable listening levels.

Participants’ task is to sit and relax on a comfortable chair situated in a sound-treated booth and watch a muted movie. Participants will be asked to fill out forms before the real experiment. Individuals are required to attend two such sessions, and each session lasts between 2-2.5 hours. Participants will be paid $25 per session. The study will be performed in the Auditory Electrophysiology Lab, Lyles-Porter Hall, Room 3043.

Individuals who meet the prescreening criteria listed above and are interested in volunteering for the study should contact Aditi Gargeshwari at agargesh@purdue.edu. The principal investigator is Ananthanarayan Krishnan, professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences. IRB # 506002731.

Researchers are looking for generally healthy young people ages18-35 for a research study being conducted at Purdue’s West Lafayette campus. This study examines bimanual prehensile behavior by measuring the ability of healthy individuals to grasp and move hand-held objects.

Participation requires one visit to the lab for about one hour. The participant will fill out questionnaires, complete tests pertaining to manual function and then perform computer-based tasks in which they track a target on a screen by moving a hand-held object. Participants will receive $15 for completing the study.

If interested, contact the research team at naik20@purdue.edu or call 765-772-8840. The principal investigator for this study is Satyajit Ambike (sambike@purdue.edu), assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology. IRB#: IRB-2023-48.

Researchers are recruiting adults who are bothered by sudden sounds (loud or soft) OR who think they have hearing loss. The studies are being conducted by the Experimental Amplification Research (EAR) Laboratory at Purdue to understand the difficulties individuals with hearing loss have when listening to speech in noise and how hearing aid technology can be improved.

Participants will be paid $20 an hour for several one or two-hour sessions. The principal investigator is Joshua Alexander, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact the Purdue EAR Lab at PurdueEarlab@gmail.com. IRB#: 1406014978.

Heritage speakers of Mandarin Chinese (individuals who grew up in the U.S. with Mandarin-speaking family) are wanted for a linguistics study on sentence processing and production. Participants will read and say sentences displayed on a computer. The study takes place in a campus lab and compensates $15 for 80 minutes.

The study is also recruiting advanced learners of Mandarin (those who have taken more than five semesters of college-level Chinese).

Criteria for both groups are below: 

Heritage speakers

Advanced speakers

The principal investigator is Elaine Francis, professor of English. E-mail sheuv@purdue.edu for more information. IRB-2022-387.

Men and women ages 18-40 are sought for a study investigating skeletal muscle blood vessel function in individuals with and without obesity.

This study will involve procedures including blood draw, muscle biopsy and analysis of blood vessel function. Compensation includes $150 payment upon completion of the entire project.

Participants must: 

The principal investigator is Timothy Gavin, professor of health and kinesiology. To participate, contact Lundon Burton at Purdue’s Wastl Human Performance Laboratory at burto119@purdue.edu. IRB#: 2020-1849.

Children ages 8-10 are needed for a research study on how children think and feel during and after exercise.

Participation in this study requires two visits on separate days to the Physical Activity and NeuroCognitive Health (PANCH) Laboratory in Lambert Fieldhouse. The first visit may last approximately three hours and involve computer games and a fitness test. The second visit may last about three hours and involve health-related and demographic questionnaires, two sessions of 20-minute aerobic exercise, and recoding of brain waves using techniques such as electroencephalogram (EEG). Participation in this study will be compensated by a maximum total of $100.

Shih-Chun Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, is the principal investigator. To participate or for more information, email panchlaboratory@purdue.edu or call 765-496-7781. IRB-2021-955.

Principal investigator Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, is seeking participants for a language study for healthy adults.

The study will be up to eight sessions, and each session lasts approximately two hours. Testing will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall. To be eligible, individuals should be 40-85 years old, be a native speaker of English and have general good health. If eligible, individuals will be paid $20 per session and free parking is available.

For more information, contact aphasia@purdue.edu, call 765-496-0216, or visit the Aphasia Research Laboratory website. IRB-2021-659.

The Purdue Aphasia lab invites people with aphasia to participate in a new NIH-funded training study. Participation will help researchers to better understand language recovery in aphasia, in hopes to develop new language treatments.

To be eligible, individuals should have aphasia as a result of a stroke, have no history of other neurological conditions (dementia, Parkinson’s disease, etc.) and be a native speaker of English. Eligibility for this training study will be determined after the initial language evaluation.

Studies will be conducted at Lyles-Porter Hall or the Indianapolis lab site. Participants, if eligible, will be compensated $20 per session, and free garage parking is provided.

The principal investigator is Jiyeon Lee, associate professor in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. For more information, contact aphasia@purdue.edu, call 765-496-0216, or visit the Aphasia Research Laboratory website. IRB-2021-659.

The Department of Nutrition Science is conducting a study to see how probiotics impact lactose intolerance symptoms.

Participants must be healthy, nonsmoking, ages 18-65, and not allergic to milk but believe they are lactose intolerant. Other criteria for study participation apply.

This study will consist of a screening day and two testing days approximately 14 days apart. Participants will be required to come to Stone Hall for approximately two consecutive hours on the screening day and eight hours for each testing day.  Participants also will be asked to track any symptoms related to lactose intolerance for two weeks following their last testing day. Participants will receive up to $200 for completing the study.

The principal investigator is Dennis Savaiano, the Virginia C. Meredith Professor of Nutrition Policy. Those interested in participating should contact Anne Wilcox at akwilcox@purdue.edu. IRB# 2021-1099.

Researchers are seeking up to 40 participants for a study of casual speech characteristics. Participants will be recorded speaking casually for about two minutes in a single session lasting no more than 30 minutes.

Participants should meet the following criteria:

Participants will be excluded if they:

Participants will be compensated with $8 at the end of the session. The principal investigator is Alexander Francis, professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences.

For more information or to arrange a time to participate, contact Emily Clark at clark741@purdue.edu. IRB-2022-350. 

Play games to help keep dementia at bay: study

Puzzles, chess and writing journals may be more than pure amusements to pass the time. These brain activities could help reduce the risk of dementia. 

According to a latest study in JAMA Network Open, activities related to adult literacy, such as taking classes, using a computer or writing journals, as well as active mental tasks like games, cards, or crossword puzzles, were related to a reduced dementia risk over 10 years.

The study looked at 10,318 adults in Australia who were 70 years old or older, who were generally healthy and without major cognitive impairment at enrollment.

Read: Having friends isn’t just good for your social life — it can also ward off dementia

The participants who engaged in literacy activities and active mental activities had an 11% and 9% lower, respectively, risk of dementia. 

To a lesser extent, participating in creative artistic activities, such as crafts, woodwork, and painting or drawing, and in passive mental activities such as reading, watching TV or listening to  the radio was also associated with reduced dementia risk, the study found. Creative artistic and passive mental activities both conferred a 7% decrease, according to the study.

“These results suggest that engagement in adult literacy, creative art, and active and passive mental activities may help reduce dementia risk in late life,” the study said.

The people in the study who developed dementia were older, more likely to be men and have lower levels of physical activity and to be in poorer health than individuals without dementia, the study said.

Read: Opinion: This is now the No. 1 preventable cause of Alzheimer’s in America

In 2022, there were 55 million individuals worldwide living with dementia, with 10 million new cases emerging annually, the study said. There’s no cure for dementia. As a result, “identifying new strategies to prevent or delay dementia onset among older individuals is a priority,” the study said.

These findings can help inform strategies for dementia prevention later life in terms of modifying daily routines and activities, the study said.