#Publiclife

A new study in PLOS ONE shows that people’s judgments about tears depend more on the situation and who is crying than on tears alone. Thousands of participants across five countries evaluated digitally altered faces to decide if tears indicated honesty. The findings challenge the assumption that crying is a universal sign of truthfulness and highlight how context shapes perception. For Thai readers, the research offers timely insight into how emotional displays are interpreted in politics, media, and everyday life.

A new study published in PLOS One reveals that whether we interpret someone’s tears as sincere or manipulative depends greatly on the situation—and who is shedding them. The research, involving thousands of participants across five countries, challenges the common assumption that crying is always seen as a mark of honesty. Instead, the perceived genuineness of tears hinges on nuanced contextual factors—findings that have significant implications for how Thais navigate emotional expression and social trust.