Tearful crying is a ubiquitous and mainly human phenomenon. The persistence of this behavior throughout adulthood has fascinated and puzzled many researchers. Scholars have argued that emotional tears serve an attachment function: Tears are thought to act as a social glue that binds individuals together and triggers social support intentions. Initial experimental studies supported this proposition across several methodologies, but these were typically conducted only across Western participants, resulting in limited generalizability. The present study examines this effect across 36 countries spanning all populated continents, providing the most comprehensive investigation of the social effects of tearful crying to-date. Next to testing possible mediating factors, we also examine a number of moderating factors, including the crier’s gender and group membership, the situational valence (positive or negative situations), the social context (in private or public settings), the perceived appropriateness of crying, and trait empathy of the observer. The current work can inform theories on crying across the social sciences.

This study presents a component-based axial force–moment P–M interaction framework for exposed column-base plate (ECBP) connections subjected to uniaxial bending about the column strong axis. An experimental database was extended and used to calibrate finite element models and validate the proposed framework. Because the loading protocols in the available database covered a limited range of axial forces, validated finite element analyses were conducted for six numerical specimens to investigate the full range of P–M combinations. Subsequently, the load-transfer mechanisms embedded in AISC Design Guide 1 and Eurocode 3:1-8 were reformulated into explicit component-level P–M resistance relations for the column, anchor bolts, and base plate. These relations enable the evaluation of connection resistance and identification of the governing component and associated failure mechanism for prescribed combinations of axial force and bending moment. The framework was evaluated against the numerical results and 30 experimental specimens. A parametric study further examined the influence of base plate thickness on component-level P–M resistance and the governing failure mechanism. The results characterize the predictive performance of the proposed formulations and reveal differences between the American- and European-based approaches.