Why are babies so cute?
There's no denying that human babies are cute,but even other species tend to have adorable infants. So why has science conditioned us to find babies so precious? Studies have found that macaque monkeys pay little attention to newborn faces,leading researchers to believe that the 'cute feeling' may be a human trait entirely.
Unlike many other species,once born,human babies are completely dependant on their parents for survival. As a result,humans have adapted to find certain traits aesthetically pleasing and adorable,in an effort to increase interaction,care and protection from parents. This,in turn,enhances offspring survival,and perpetuates our species. But what exactly makes something/ someone seem cute? Known as Baby Schema,scientists have come up with a set of tested traits that make something appear cute. These include a large rounded head,relative to the body,large eyes below the midline of the face,protruding cheeks,a big forehead,and soft surfaces.
No doubt ! Our species is born with large eyes,almost full sized brains,soft skin,big cheeks. In an experiment,when the front of the cars were altered in accordance to the baby schema,like making the headlights become larger to mimic big eyes,the participants experienced a more positive response. It turns out, it's all in our head. When viewing babies with enhanced baby schema proportions,the mesocorticolimbic system of our brain is activated. These parts of the brain enhance the anticipation of a reward,and can lead to a sense of enjoyment,motivation to care for something and the urge to cuddle or hold an object.
Unlike many other species,once born,human babies are completely dependant on their parents for survival. As a result,humans have adapted to find certain traits aesthetically pleasing and adorable,in an effort to increase interaction,care and protection from parents. This,in turn,enhances offspring survival,and perpetuates our species. But what exactly makes something/ someone seem cute? Known as Baby Schema,scientists have come up with a set of tested traits that make something appear cute. These include a large rounded head,relative to the body,large eyes below the midline of the face,protruding cheeks,a big forehead,and soft surfaces.
No doubt ! Our species is born with large eyes,almost full sized brains,soft skin,big cheeks. In an experiment,when the front of the cars were altered in accordance to the baby schema,like making the headlights become larger to mimic big eyes,the participants experienced a more positive response. It turns out, it's all in our head. When viewing babies with enhanced baby schema proportions,the mesocorticolimbic system of our brain is activated. These parts of the brain enhance the anticipation of a reward,and can lead to a sense of enjoyment,motivation to care for something and the urge to cuddle or hold an object.
Comments
Post a Comment