Studies // Cited work
Is crying a self-soothing behavior?
Gračanin, A., Bylsma, L. M., & Vingerhoets, A. J. J. M. (2014). Is crying a self-soothing behavior?.
Level D Review doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00502
What this study supports
Supports the claim that findings on mood after crying appear discrepant and that self-soothing and social-soothing mechanisms have been proposed. Proposes mechanisms rather than establishing them.
- Who was studied
- Not applicable: a narrative review of the self-soothing effects of crying.
- Design
- Review
- Level of evidence
- Cross-sectional, observational, qualitative work and narrative reviews.
Claims that rest on it
Each claim states what the site asserts, at what strength, and with what caveat.
EmpiricalLevel DConfidence MODERATE
Whether people report crying as cathartic is associated with its context: social support, a resolution and new understanding make reported benefit more likely, and shame or suppression less likely.
- Scope
- Retrospective self-reports of the most recent crying episode by students in 35 countries.
- Caveat
- Cross-sectional recall data; laboratory studies often find worse mood immediately after crying.
Last reviewed · Review due · crying-benefit-depends-on-context