ABSTRACT

In the first part, the article reviews the literature on adult crying. It is noted that this phenomenon until now has received little attention from behavioural scientists, and consequently, the literature is full of unproven speculations. At the end of the theoretical background, it is concluded that the research about crying is rather unsystematic. In the second part of the article, empirical data based on the investigation of 173 Romanian subjects who filled out the ISAC questionnaire on crying are presented. The results are discussed in the context of an international study on adult crying. Finally, the question is addressed whether crying is health. It is stated that the data of ISAC (International Study on Adult Crying) facilitate the elaboration of a theoretical model of crying.

KEYWORDS: emotion, crying, disclosure, alexithymia, health