Husbands and Sad Movies

H

Do you cry at sad movies? In an odd series of scientific studies in Israel, scientists have discovered that a chemical in women’s sad tears literally turns men off.
The women’s tears were collected while watching sad movies. Men were then given tears or saline solution to smell. Neither they nor the researcher applying the little pads to their upper lips knew which they got.
The men could not detect any difference in the smell. But the sad tears reduced their sexual arousal and, apparently, nothing else about them. They did not change their ratings of attractive women in photos as sad or empathetic. They did not increase the men’s own sadness or empathy while watching sad movies, either.
But physiological indicators and even fMRI’s of their brains agreed with their self-assessments: the women in the photos and movies aroused them less when the pads under their noses contained women’s sad tears.
Curious, no? So, sad movies might be a really bad choice for your romantic date nights.
But what’s the deal with make-up sex? Is stopping the tears a turn-on? Or are angry and hurt tears different from sad tears? And is the effect of women’s tears on female partners any different? What do you think? Leave me a comment.

About the author

Patty Newbold

I am a widow who got it right the second time. I have been sharing here since February 14, 2006 what I learned from that experience and from positive psychology, marriage research, and my training as a marriage educator.

Add Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

By Patty Newbold

Assume Love in Your Inbox!

Read About

Recent Comments

Popular Posts

Visit Patty’s Other Site

Enjoy Being Married logo

Archives

Social Media