Skip to content
The scent of women’s tears has been found to inhibit male aggression in rodents. This phenomenon mirrors social chemosignaling, a widely observed process in animals but less understood in humans. A study led by Shani Agron from the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel explored how women’s tears impact aggression in men.
The results were published in the journal PLOS Biology.
Study Design
To investigate the effects of tears on human behavior, researchers engaged a group of men in a two-player monetary game. Participants believed they were playing against another person, but in reality, they played against a computer algorithm. The game included provocative situations where participants experienced “unfair” loss of money and opportunities for revenge, allowing them to take their opponent’s money without personal gain. Throughout the game, researchers intermittently presented vials containing tears from female donors or a saline. The saline or tears were then applied to a pad, which was attached to the upper lip of the participants. The men were unaware of whether they were exposed to tears or the saline and could not differentiate them.
Following the game, participants were surveyed, real-time activation of olfactory receptors was observed, and brain MRI scans were conducted to assess neural responses.
Impact of the Scent of Female Tears on Male Aggression
A reduction of over 40% in retaliatory aggressive behavior was revealed during a game when men were exposed to the aroma of women’s tears. MRI scans highlighted increased activity in two brain regions associated with aggression — the prefrontal cortex and the anterior insula. However, such heightened activity was absent in men who had been exposed to tears.
According to the researchers, tears diminish neural activity linked to provocation in the substrates of reactive aggression. Additionally, tears enhance the functional connectivity between the substrates of reactive aggression and the olfactory neural substrates. Consequently, the study concludes that tears have the capability to coordinate the brain’s response to aggression.
Study Limitations
The authors acknowledge certain limitations, including the testing of 62 olfactory receptors while humans possess approximately 350. Furthermore, the impact of tears was not examined in women, highlighting the need for similar research to gain a comprehensive understanding.
A brief reminder about a recent study brings attention to the profound impact of gender-based violence on the stress response system in women.
