Abstract
Results of previous work suggest a preference of adult observers for cute compared to less cute infants. In Study 1 we investigated whether the preference for cute infants depends on the ethnicity and species of the infant. We simultaneously presented two faces (one cute and one less cute) and asked Caucasian participants to choose the infant to whom they would rather give a toy (Task 1) and which infant they would rather adopt (Task 2). The infants were Caucasian or African human babies or dog puppies. For all face categories and in both tasks we found a strong preference for cute infants. A possible reason for preferring cute infants may be that cute infants look healthier than less cute infants. To investigate whether cuteness is associated with the assessment of health we conducted Study 2. Faces of Caucasian and African infants and dog puppies were rated for cuteness and health. The findings revealed a significant relationship between health and cuteness evaluation across all stimuli. We suggest that one reason why cute infants are preferred might be because they are perceived as being healthier.
Highlights
IntroductionAccording to Lorenz [1], the Kindchenschema is an innate releasing mechanism for caretaking behavior and affective orientation toward infants
Infants of many species are born helpless and depend on protection and care
Pictures of 100 Caucasian and 100 African infant and 100 dog puppy faces were collected from different sources and showed natural, colored, non-manipulated infant faces with a neutral facial expression
Summary
According to Lorenz [1], the Kindchenschema is an innate releasing mechanism for caretaking behavior and affective orientation toward infants. This schema is triggered by paedomorphic features such as a relatively large head compared to the size of the body, a relatively big cranium compared to the facial bones, large eyes that lie below the horizontal midline of the skull, a soft-elastic surface texture, and round protruding cheeks. Infants that conform to this “babyfacedness” are commonly described as being cute [e.g. 2, 3] These infants are perceived as looking cute, they are rated as being likable, sociable, smart, competent, easy to care for, and good [4, 5]. The association of cuteness with various positive attributes can be described by the cute-is-
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