Abstract
Accumulating behavioral and neurophysiological studies support the idea of infantile (cute) faces as highly biologically relevant stimuli rapidly and unconsciously capturing attention and eliciting positive/affectionate behaviors, including willingness to care. It has been hypothesized that the presence of infantile physical and behavioral features in companion (or pet) animals (i.e., dogs and cats) might form the basis of our attraction to these species. Preliminary evidence has indeed shown that the human attentional bias toward the baby schema may extend to animal facial configurations. In this review, the role of facial cues, specifically of infantile traits and facial signals (i.e., eyes gaze) as emotional and communicative signals is highlighted and discussed as regulating the human-animal bond, similarly to what can be observed in the adult-infant interaction context. Particular emphasis is given to the neuroendocrine regulation of the social bond between humans and animals through oxytocin secretion. Instead of considering companion animals as mere baby substitutes for their owners, in this review we highlight the central role of cats and dogs in human lives. Specifically, we consider the ability of companion animals to bond with humans as fulfilling the need for attention and emotional intimacy, thus serving similar psychological and adaptive functions as human-human friendships. In this context, facial cuteness is viewed not just as a releaser of care/parental behavior, but, more in general, as a trait motivating social engagement. To conclude, the impact of this information for applied disciplines is briefly described, particularly in consideration of the increasing evidence of the beneficial effects of contacts with animals for human health and wellbeing.
Highlights
In the context of Wilson’s Biophilia Hypothesis(1984), the human need and propensity to focus on and to affiliate with animals (“Biophilia”), as well as its counterpart, have been depicted as biological tendencies (Wilson, 1984; Kellert, 1993a)
In our contribution to the endeavor of better understanding the mechanisms underlying human attraction to animals, we demonstrated an early emergence of the response to infantile facial traits and its generalization to companion animals
This study has shown that shelter dogs who exhibit facial expressions enhancing their infantile appearance are preferentially selected for adoption (Waller et al, 2013), a fact in line with human studies showing women’s adoption preferences being dependent on cuteness perception (Volk and Quinsey, 2002)
Summary
In the context of Wilson’s Biophilia Hypothesis(1984), the human need and propensity to focus on and to affiliate with animals (“Biophilia”), as well as its counterpart (negative attitudes toward some animals, or “Biophobia”), have been depicted as biological tendencies (Wilson, 1984; Kellert, 1993a). Even in subjects with a deficit in the social domain (i.e., children with autism spectrum disorders) preference for animal features has been shown (Celani, 2002; Prothmann et al, 2009, but see Grandgeorge et al, 2015), as well as an increase in social behaviors in the presence of animals compared to toys (O’Haire et al, 2013). Why animals constitute such an attractive stimulus for humans has not been completely clarified. Living beings engage the attention of people more than objects do, and it has been
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