Why Do We Squeeze Cute Things? Do you Relate?

What's the first thing you want to do when you look at this picture? How about this one or the rest of these? If you're sitting there going "ah" and want to squeeze the crap out of these fellas, we're right there with you.

Cute Aggression

Cute things like animals and babies help us channel our aggressive side. This doesn't mean you actually want to hurt the cute, innocent-looking creatures. Who would ever do such a thing? It's quite the opposite, actually. Researchers from Yale University call this phenomenon cute aggression. In their experiment, volunteers were shown slideshows of cute animals and neutral photos. They were given bubble wrap when viewing the pictures, and results show that more bubbles were popped by volunteers when viewing the cute photos.

Cute Photos

The research shows that we tend to have pent-up aggression over cute things because they trigger our desire to protect them. But when we're only seeing photos of the cute creatures, we're left empty-handed when we can't reach in and hold them. That's where the frustration kicks in. The more baby-like something is with wide-set eyes and a round face, the more motivated you feel to take care of it. But it turns out that empathy isn't the only thing that's triggered. A study done in Japan at Hiroshima University shows that looking at pictures of cute animals can boost your concentration.

Concentration

Participants were asked to look at certain photos and then complete a concentration task. The pictures that were shown to them were either cute animals or delicious foods. When participants saw cute animals, their performance on the concentration task increased by 44%. Results also showed that participants took longer to complete their tasks after looking at cute photos. They were able to work without feeling distracted and took their time to make more careful, deliberate actions.

So the next time you have to study for an exam or write a big research paper, we recommend looking at cute photos. It might just help you get an A. Remember, never underestimate the power of puppies.

Conclusion

Did you find these studies interesting? Please share your thoughts with us below.

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