Overview

• A peer-reviewed paper published July 17 in PLOS One by the University of Łódź examines how digital tear displays affect honesty judgments
• About 3,500 participants from Norway, Poland, South Africa, Canada and the UK rated manipulated images of tearful and non-tearful faces for perceived honesty
• Across the full sample, the presence of tears had only a marginal effect on overall honesty ratings
• Tears significantly boosted perceived sincerity and willingness to help when shown by men and by women who appeared less warm
• Lead author Monika Wróbel concludes that unexpected emotional displays serve as potent social signals that prompt supportive responses