Chemicals found in human tears release signals that reduce activity in brain regions associated with aggression
A recent study from Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science found that the smell of women's tears can significantly reduce male aggression. new york post It has been reported.
Studies have shown that compounds found in human tears release signals that reduce activity in brain areas associated with male aggression.
In an experiment, tears were collected from women who watched a sad movie by rolling their faces. Thirty-one men participated in a computer game that provoked aggression by unfairly deducting points. The group smelled either saline solution or women's tears by putting a drop of water on a cotton swab placed on the upper lip.
The results showed that aggressive behavior, especially retaliatory behavior when men smelled women's tears, was reduced by 43.7% compared to saline. Brain scans showed increased functional connectivity between odor-processing areas and decreased activity in aggression-related areas of the “tear detector.”
Lead professor Noam Sobel said: “The reduction in aggression was impressive to us. It looks real – whatever is in the tears reduces aggression.” Sobel's previous research also linked tearfulness in women to decreased male testosterone and weakened sexual desire.
Sobel acknowledged that tear chemicals may have limited effects on social interactions in adults, but suggested that they may have evolved to protect vulnerable babies.
“Babies can’t say, ‘Don’t be aggressive with me,’” he explained. They have very limited communication skills and are helpless. “Evolution may have provided babies with tools to reduce aggression.”
This study indicates that crying, a behavior observed throughout adulthood, may reduce aggression and serve as a protective mechanism for vulnerable individuals. The researchers predicted that similar chemical signatures were present in the tears of men and children.