Mysterious nature. The smell of women's tears reduces aggression in men – study

December 22, 21:50 Share:

Women's tears affect men's aggressiveness (Photo: pexels)

A study conducted by scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science found that men who smelled women's tears were almost 44% less likely to be aggressive..

Tracking brain activity showed that the components of tears strengthen the connection between the areas of the brain responsible for smell and aggression, which in turn reduces the activity of aggressive manifestations.

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A similar phenomenon was previously observed in rodents, where compounds from tears influenced sexual behavior and aggressiveness. Experiments with mice showed that the component of tears enhances the sexual behavior of males and at the same time their aggressiveness. Surprisingly, the tears of baby mice can also reduce the aggressiveness of adult males towards each other.

The human study involved 25 men playing a computer game where the distribution of winnings was sometimes unfair, causing participants to become aggressive. Men were asked to smell women's tears or a saline solution. The authors of the study reported that this was a slightly diluted perfume.. Those who sniffed tears showed aggression 43.7% less often.

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Brain scans also showed that when participants in the game inhaled tears, certain areas were noticeably less activated, indicating a decrease in aggressive reactions. Scientists suggest that both men's and children's tears can have a similar effect, which indicates a protective function aimed at reducing the aggressiveness of a potential offender.

Thus, the study confirmed that, similar to rodents, human tears contain compounds that can mitigate aggression, opening new perspectives on the influence of this biological process on human behavior.