A stiff upper lip used to be a mark of pride for a Briton. But our national trait is starting to wobble.

Modern men are nearly three times more likely to cry in public than their fathers’ generation, according to new research.

The average British man has sobbed in front of other people 14 times in his adult life, on average, with four out of ten admitting to public tears within the last 12 months.

The average British man has sobbed in front of other people 14 times in his adult life. according to new research

By contrast, modern men claim their fathers only ever cried in front of others on five occasions on average – reserving their tears for dramatic personal events such as the death of a family member.

And it is not just a matter of crying in public. The younger generation shed even more tears behind closed doors, sobbing around 30 times a year, for an average of two minutes and 18 seconds each time.

Psychologist Donna Dawson, who led the survey of 2000 Britons, said that modern men face much less social pressure than their fathers did to maintain their composure in public.

Whereas men used to save the water works for major real-life events, their sons are almost as likely to well up whilst they are watching an emotional television programme or film.

Nearly eight in ten British men admit that they have been reduced to tears by a soppy television drama, according to the research which was commissioned by NBC Universal.

The emotional triggers on screen allow them tap into their feelings without having to mull over complex, real-life problems, Miss Dawson said.

‘Fictional TV shows are more likely to elicit tears because they allow a more pure, universal expression of grief - an emotional “unloading” – which is not tainted by the conflicting emotions of guilt, regret, confusion and anger that often accompany specific real-life situations. Conflicting emotions can stop or inhibit us from crying over a situation.’

But television drama is not the only trigger likely to drive men to tears.

Some 13 per cent of British men admit that they have cried when their favourite sports team has lost – or even won –a big match.

Four out of ten admitted to public tears within the last 12 months, but modern men claim their fathers only ever cried in front of others on five occasions on average

Meanwhile, a quarter of men have welled up because they felt bad about themselves, and nearly one in five have cried over a distressing news story.

Women are slightly less prone than men to sobbing in front of the box, but they are much more likely to cry when they have been hurt by a loved one. Just over four in ten also admit that they have sobbed when they have seen an animal in pain.

According to the research, women cry around twice as often and for twice as long as men do, letting the tears run an average of 62 times a year, for four minutes and 37 seconds a time.

Somewhat surprisingly – they are also much more likely than men to shed their tears in private. Nearly eight out of ten women say they are more likely to cry alone than in company, compared to six in ten men.

But although some of the stigma about crying has gone, many men still make an excuse for their displays of emotion.

Miss Dawson said: ‘Even though today’s society is more approving of public tears, there is still a lurking fear in many of us that the people witnessing it will make fun of us - which is why we still come up with a range of excuses.’

Nearly half of the British men surveyed said they explain away their tears by saying they have something in their eye. Just over a third try to hide it by yawning, and a fifth blame it on tiredness.