Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
May 3, 2026Open Access

Emotional Tears as a Bargaining Tactic of the Weak: Experimental Evidence From Two Countries

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

AGAsmir GračaninDSDaniel SznycerDLDebra Lieberman

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Experimental evidence reveals that individuals perceive tears as a sign of lower bargaining power in conflicts.

Key Points

  • This research explores how emotional tears influence perceptions of bargaining power during conflicts.
  • Conducted an online experiment with participants from the United States (N=410) and India (N=276).
  • Participants read vignettes depicting conflicts between individuals with varying fighting abilities.
  • Assessed expectations of emotional tears based on perceived physical strength.
  • Participants expected individuals with lower perceived fighting ability to tear up more often.
  • The association between perceived power and expectations of tears was inconsistent in dyads.
  • Overall, findings indicate that perceived fighting ability is a significant cue in judging tearfulness.

Cite This Study

Gračanin et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69f6e5618071d4f1bdfc606ehttps://doi.org/10.31820/pt.35.1.2
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share