Why do human beings cry? A myth that has prefaced nearly all attempts to answer this question over the past five centuries claims that we know almost nothing about this behavior; that crying research is still in its infancy. Actually, there is a wealth of theories and empirical observations about weeping, but it is scattered across different languages and inaccessible academic genres. The persistent trope of the mysterious "secret land of tears" has hindered efforts to undertake a comprehensive critical analysis of existing theories, which is essential for the systematic accumulation of knowledge and the effective use of experimental research to shed light on genuine puzzles.

This project will result in a Swedish monograph and an English review article that address this theoretical fragmentation in crying research by analysing theories about the causes, intentionality, nature, intra- and interpersonal effects, evolutionary function and normativity of crying in this rich intellectual tradition. Eight major theories of crying are critically examined. Is crying, in essence, (1) an expression of suffering; (2) a process of physiological relief; (3) a bodily correlate of cognitions and emotions about the distressed self; (4) an attachment behaviour, signalling and detecting need; (5) a response to threatened, lost or triumphant values; (6) an expression of helplessness/hopelessness; (7) a state of mental and physical disorganisation; or (8) an act of (un)intentional manipulation?