'Tears Of Joy': Reason For Conflicting Emotions Revealed In Study

Ever heard of the phrase "tears of joy?" Well turns out, there's a bit of science behind this story. Yale researchers studied seemingly incongruous expressions to discover why some people do cry when they're happy.

"People may be restoring emotional equilibrium with these expressions," said lead study author and Yale psychologist Oriana Aragon, in a news release. "They seem to take place when people are overwhelmed with strong positive emotions, and people who do this seem to recover better from those strong emotions."

Researchers found many examples of responding to positive experience with negative emotion. For instance, a spouse began to cry when she was reunited with a soldier from war.

Findings revealed that individuals who expressed negative reactions to positive news were able to moderate intense emotions more quickly. On the other hand, people who are moe likely to cry at their child's graduation are also most likely to want to pinch a cute baby's cheeks.

Furthermore, the study results help explain why some people, simply put, have a bit of trouble understanding themselves.

"These insights advance our understanding of how people express and control their emotions, which is importantly related to mental and physical health, the quality of relationships with others, and even how well people work together," she concluded. 

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Psychological Science.