Academic seeks people who fancy a good cry

25 November 2003

AMSTERDAM — In an investigation of what at first glance might be a study of the heart, the University of Tilburg is looking for emotional people — mostly women — who are willing to take part in large-scale crying experiment.

Professor A. Vingerhoets wants to examine whether emotional tears have the same chemical make-up as those caused by slicing an onion. “We know very little about tears,” the academic has admitted.

Placing an advertisement in a local magazine, Vingerhoets recently requested “emotional types” to respond. He is especially searching for women, claiming the age old theory that they cry easier than men — no thanks to the “new age sensitive guy” movement.

But the professor is finding it difficult to find willing volunteers, claiming the people look strangely upon emotions and crying, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported on Tuesday.

And the reward for responding? As tear-inducing material, willing criers will be shown the hard-hitting New Zealand film Once Were Warriors, a harrowing depiction of life inside a
Maori family torn apart by alcohol and rage.

The Tilburg academic has attracted a lot of attention with his research topic, picking up the appropriate nickname of the “cry professor”. In other ground-breaking studies, he has previously examined vacation stress.

Subject: Dutch news