Cuteness and Science - Cute Studies (2024)

FAQs

What is the science of cute? ›

We know that cuteness triggers our emotions, empathy and compassion. So when we see something cute it ignites the fast brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex, which is the part linked to emotions and pleasure.

Book overview

Cuteness is an area where culture and biology get tangled up. Seeing a cute animal triggers some of the most powerful psychological instincts we have - the ones that elicit our care and protection - but there is a deeper story behind the broad appeal of Japanese cats and saccharine greetings cards.

Cuteness isn't just about making you feel warm and fuzzy; it can also cultivate empathy and strengthen social bonds. A study published in the journal "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin" found that exposure to cute images led to increased feelings of compassion and willingness to help others.

The modern concept of cuteness has been influenced by the work of an Austrian ethologist, Konrad Lorenz, who coined the term Kindchenschema (baby schema) to refer to child-like features such as small body size with a large head, large eyes, round cheeks, small limbs, plump body shape, soft body surface, as well as ...

Psychologically speaking, the reason individuals are drawn to cute things is that they make them feel protective, caring, and affectionate. Our brains, experience a pleasant emotional reaction when we view something charming, such an adorable baby animal or a cartoon character with large eyes and little features.

There are suggestions that hormone levels can affect a person's perception of cuteness. Konrad Lorenz suggests that "caretaking behaviour and affective orientation" towards infants as an innate mechanism, and this is triggered by cute characteristics such as "chubby cheeks" and large eyes.

Although cuteness can be a matter of personal preference, people tend to find young mammals cute and adorable, and this is likely part of an evolutionary development. Cuteness serves a purpose in species whose young cannot live on their own right away.

Cuteness on the brain

When we encounter something cute, it ignites fast brain activity in regions such as the orbitofrontal cortex, which are linked to emotion and pleasure. It also attracts our attention in a biased way: babies have privileged access to entering conscious awareness in our brains.

"Rules of Cuteness"

Rule #1: Putting your paw up. Rule #2: Look helpless. Rule #3: An inquisitive look. Rule #4: More than one species of baby flopping around is cute.

More than 70 years ago, ethologist Konrad Lorenz argued that our perception of cuteness has an evolutionary purpose: Adults see babies' big eyes and round faces as adorable, and so are more motivated to perform their parental duties.

Why is cuteness important? ›

Cuteness can prime your brain for fun, make you more social, heighten empathy, increase motivation, and improve physical and mental performance.

Drawing on work by Konrad Lorenz (1943), O'Neil tells us that “soft, rounded features; small, tightly clustered nose and mouth; high forehead and large cheeks; large eyes; short, stubby limbs; physical clumsiness; and inability to reach one's goals,” are all features that lead us to perceive someone or something as ...

Biological response of oxytocin attaches the adults to infants and vasopressin is somehow associated with aggressive feelings. Cute aggression, such as biting, squeezing, and tackling, is related to the intersection of emotional responses and reward centers.

Characteristics. Cuteness is usually characterized by some combination of infant-like physical traits, especially small size, large eyes, a small nose, dimples, and chubby limbs. Infantile personality traits, such as playfulness, fragility, helplessness, and affectionate behavior are also generally considered cute.

The Roots of Cute

Virtually every academic study published on cuteness references his idea of kindchenschema, or “baby schema”: Infants of many mammal species have a suite of features, such as a large head, large eyes and a small nose, that prompt a caregiving response.

Although cuteness can be a matter of personal preference, people tend to find young mammals cute and adorable, and this is likely part of an evolutionary development. Cuteness serves a purpose in species whose young cannot live on their own right away.