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Science Behind the Cuteness of Animals and Babies You are afflicted with cuteness syndrome if your heart skips a beat when you see a cute baby showing his semi-grown teeth and doing some really silly and cute actions. Or, you go crazy when you see a small pup taking teeny-weeny steps and compelling you to make a long "awww". Symptoms? Frequent hugging and cuddling the things you find extremely adorable and cute! This is the science of cute things.
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The Newfoundland dog actually hails from Labrador, and the Labrador dog belongs to Newfoundland, segregated from Newfoundland and Labrador of Northern Canada!
Cuteness, as defined by science, is a feeling of attraction and submission towards a set of physical traits and expressions possessed by any animate or an inanimate being. It touches the senses of a person, and makes him give a response of happiness and love towards that particular thing.
The reason behind our admiration of toddlers and animals has been first propounded by an Austrian biologist and ethologist Konrad Lorenz, who did an extensive research in 1949 on this trait of human behavior, and coined it the term "Baby Schema" or "Kindchenschma". He concluded that, it is a set of physical traits, especially the round big eyes, big head, small body, and tender movements that attracts the attention of a person, and he/she develops a feeling of affection towards it.
The soft movements and a constant need for protection of animals makes a person feel responsible towards them. This adoration produces a sense of self-importance and a reliable source for support and strength, thereby giving a personality boost.
Every person has a different definition for cuteness and likability. A person gets attracted to those animals or babies with whom he feels like getting along or communicating. Another research in this field has been performed by two Yale University psychologists, Rebecca Dyer and Oriana Aragon, who tried to unearth the reason behind the outward behavior or responses of people when they find something admiring.
According to the studies carried out by psychologists Rebecca Dyer and Oriana Aragon, it is pent-up emotion, excitement, and a higher aggression that makes a person feel like squeezing pups or cubs and babies. This phenomenon is termed as "Cuteness Aggression". The sight of an animal or a baby doing sweet, crazy gestures gives a relieving effect to the emotions of humans, and we feel happy and light.
A possible reason behind an involuntary pull towards meek, delicate babies is because of the release of the Oxytocin hormone, which encourages a person to show his feelings of love, affection, and tenderness towards the things which he enjoys the most, around whom he identifies his self, and feels emotionally secured.
Studies on human behavior concluded that people, when coming in contact with innocent beings like animals or human kids, feel extremely happy, and this positive feeling of happiness is so excessive that it finds expression in a negative way, like squeezing, rigorous cuddling, and pulling the cheeks. It is excess of happiness becoming difficult to contain.
Facial expressions and features of babies have a great impact on the reaction of a person. A child attracts more attention than elders because of the facial make. With a small, round forehead, bald or lesser hair, bulgy cheeks, and big eyes, kids are so very heartwarming and adorable!
The eyes are the most effective way through which little ones express their inner innocence and purity. They are the most appealing thing about them, second being their staggering, small footsteps. The idea of "Baby Schema" is used in many graphics and animations to make cartoon characters more appealing and communicating.
