Reactions to Men and Women Who Cry: A Study of Sex Differences in Perceived Societal Attitudes versus Personal Attitudes

Abstract

This study examined sex differences and similarities in sex-role attitudes using reactions to males' and females' crying as the stimulus situation. 285 male and 307 female students completed questionnaires. Subjects were asked to indicate their reactions to the sight of a woman crying and to the sight of a man crying. They were also asked to indicate how they thought “people” react to the sight of a man or a woman crying. Subjects perceived “people” as holding a double standard of crying, with much greater acceptance of females' than of males' crying. The proportion of subjects of both sexes who considered crying by males acceptable was significantly greater than the proportion who felt “people” would find it acceptable. Women seemed to hold a unisex standard of crying, while male subjects endorsed a double standard.

Social Reactions to Adult Crying: The Help-Soliciting Function of Tears

“…Cornelius and colleagues (Cornelius & Lubliner, 2003;Cornelius et al, 2000) and Hendriks and Vingerhoets (2006) found that neither the sex of the respondent nor that of the crying person substantially influenced social reactions to crying. However, Cretser, Lombardo, Lombardo, and Mathis (1982) and Jesser (1989) found that (a) participants in their studies were more inclined to sympathize with and provide comfort and help to a crying woman than a crying man and (b) female participants responded more favorably to a crying person than did male participants. Labott et al's (1991) results also indicated sex differences, but in the opposite direction: Respondents liked men more when they cried, whereas they like women more when they displayed no emotional reaction to stimuli.…”

Arresting and convicting the innocent: the potential role of an “inappropriate” emotional display in the accused

“…There is evidence that expectations likely will differ, as researchers have found different expectations for emotionality in males and females (see, e.g., Broverman, Vogel, Broverman, Clarkson, & Rosenkrantz, 1972). Earlier researchers generally found that crying from females was seen as more acceptable (see, e.g., Cretser, Lombardo, Lombardo, & Mathis, 1982), although there is recent research to suggest that perceptions of male criers may be changing (Labott, Martin, Eason, & Berkey, 1991; for a review see Warner & Shields, 2007). In any case, researchers should not assume that results will be the same for both genders.…”

Why Crying Improves Our Well-being: An Attachment-Theory Perspective on the Functions of Adult Crying

“…Respondents were more inclined to comfort and help a crying woman than a crying man (Cretser, Lombardo, Lombardo, & Mathis, 1982;Jesser, 1989). A crying man was more likely to be helped by female than by male respondents and was more looked down on by male than by female respondents (Cretser et al, 1982).…”

“…Respondents were more inclined to comfort and help a crying woman than a crying man (Cretser, Lombardo, Lombardo, & Mathis, 1982;Jesser, 1989). A crying man was more likely to be helped by female than by male respondents and was more looked down on by male than by female respondents (Cretser et al, 1982). In contrast, in the studies of Cornelius and colleagues (Cornelius and Lubliner, 2003;Cornelius, Nussbaum, Warner, & Moeller, 2000) and of Hendriks and colleagues (Hendriks & Vingerhoets, 2006;Hendriks, Croon, et al, in press), the sex of the respondent and of the crying person did not substantially influence the social reactions to crying.…”

“…Because women are more comfortable with intimacy and a nurturing role, they may experience fewer feelings of awkwardness in the presence of a crying person than men. This might explain why women reacted with sympathy and support while men tended to feel irritated and confused in the presence of a crying person (Cretser et al, 1982;Jesser, 1989). Hendriks et al (in press) demonstrated that reactions from the social environment to crying were partially determined by the situation (i.e., the context) in which the person cried.…”