But now scientists have come up with a suggestion - sharing sad emotions helps women bond.

 

A research team at Cardiff University found that by sharing their emotions women found the happy parts of films more joyful¹ and the sad bits less sad.

 

Job van der Schalk, a psychologist at Cardiff University, said: 'Our findings suggest that a negative emotional experience such as watching a 'weepy' is more positive when it is shared with a friend.

 

'And, at the same time, a positive emotional experience, such as watching a 'romcom', should equally be more pleasant when shared.'

 

The study, published in the journal Social Cognitive² and Affective Neuroscience, said: 'When people go to the cinema to watch a film, they ... anticipate a positive subjective³ impact of sharing this emotional experience.'

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