Tears of joy in India

Despite evidence from religious and literary sources that people in diverse cultures throughout human history have cried in joy, almost no empirical psychological research exists on this topic. The purpose of this study was to develop a taxonomy of tears of joy (TOJ) experiences, to serve as the foundation for cross-cultural research relating TOJ to dispositional factors, as well as to emotional and physical well-being. In this investigation, 131 adults (69 females, 62 males) born in India and currently residing there responded to a survey inquiring if they had ever experienced (TOJ). If they answered affirmatively, they were asked to describe their most recent experience and rate its emotional intensity on a 5-point Likert scale. They were also asked how often they have TOJ, and when was the last occasion. In total, 109 participants reported having experienced TOJ (83.2%) and generated 123 specific reports, classifiable into 15 distinct categories. TOJ arising from non-romantic affection comprised the most frequent category (19.8%), followed by those involving a personal achievement (16.2%), and both the birth of a child (12.2%) and a reunion of any sort (12.2%). Females reported a TOJ experience significantly more recently than did males, but no other gender differences emerged. Emotional intensity was significantly related to category. The implications of these findings for positive functioning are discussed, and future avenues for research are suggested.