In “Complaints and Complaining: Functions, Antecedents, and Consequences,” published in the Psychological Bulletin, psychologist Robin Kowalski wrote, “Many complaints involve attempts to elicit particular interpersonal reactions from others, such as sympathy or approval. For example, people may complain about their health, not because they actually feel sick but because the sick role allows them to achieve secondary gains such as sympathy from others or the avoidance of aversive events.”
