Adult preferences for infantile facial features: An ethological approach

Sternglanz, Sarah Hall; Gray, James L.; M, Murakami

doi:10.1016/0003-3472(77)90072-0

Cited by 179 publications

(150 citation statements)

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“…Some fMRI studies on the perception of nonvisual infantile cues, such as vocalization, demonstrated sex-dependent activation patterns in brain regions associated with emotion and motivation (i.e., amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex) (53,54). Behavioral studies produced inconclusive results (7,8,(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), but when sex differences were found, women were usually more responsive to baby schema than men (7,8,10,12). We recently found that baby schema in infant faces induces stronger motivation for caretaking in women (10).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a species whose young depend on care, such bias could be evolutionary adaptive and enhance offspring survival (3)(4)(5). The behavioral effects of the baby schema have been experimentally confirmed (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14), with implications for infant-caretaker interactions (15,16). In ethological terms, baby schema is classified as a ''releaser'' (or ''key stimulus'' in the context of social communication), which is defined as a set of specific stimulus features sufficient to selectively elicit a particular pattern of behavior (2,17).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…The majority of baby schema features are in the head and the face and most prior research has focused on these infant characteristics (6,7,9,(11)(12)(13). Using anthropometric (26) and morphing techniques, we manipulated photographs of 17 infants [originals courtesy Katherine Karraker, West Virginia University; (11)] to produce high (round face, high forehead, big eyes, small nose and mouth), low (narrow face, low forehead, small eyes, big nose and mouth), and unmanipulated baby schema portraits of each infant (Fig.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Baby schema modulates the brain reward system in nulliparous women

Glocker

Langleben

Ruparel

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

260

237

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Ethologist Konrad Lorenz defined the baby schema (''Kindchenschema'') as a set of infantile physical features, such as round face and big eyes, that is perceived as cute and motivates caretaking behavior in the human, with the evolutionary function of enhancing offspring survival. The neural basis of this fundamental altruistic instinct is not well understood. Prior studies reported a pattern of brain response to pictures of children, but did not dissociate the brain response to baby schema from the response to children. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and controlled manipulation of the baby schema in infant faces, we found that baby schema activates the nucleus accumbens, a key structure of the mesocorticolimbic system mediating reward processing and appetitive motivation, in nulliparous women. Our findings suggest that engagement of the mesocorticolimbic system is the neurophysiologic mechanism by which baby schema promotes human caregiving, regardless of kinship.caregiving ͉ functional MRI ͉ social cognition ͉ infant ͉ accumbens

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Baby schema modulates the brain reward system in nulliparous women

Glocker

Langleben

Ruparel

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

260

237

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“…Infants whose facial characteristics closely correspond to the Kindchenschema are commonly described as cuter than infants whose facial characteristics deviate from the Kindchenschema (e.g., Alley, 1981;Brooks and Hochbeg, 1960;Glocker et al, 2009a;Hildebrandt and Fitzgerald, 1979;Hückstedt, 1965;McKelvie, 1993;Sternglanz et al, 1977).…”

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstrual cycle phase affects discrimination of infant cuteness

Lobmaier

Probst

Perrett

et al. 2015

Hormones and Behavior

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“…Given the importance of parental care for the survival of human infants, and 27 the fact that infant facial morphology differs from that of adults (Bergersen,28 1966; Enlow & Hans, 1996), the processing of infant faces may be somewhat 29 Sternglanz et al, 1977). 44…”

Section: Introduction 26mentioning

confidence: 99%

Early and late event-related potentials are modulated by infant and adult faces of high and low attractiveness

Hahn

Symons

Kredel

et al. 2015

Social Neuroscience

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1The processing of infant faces may be somewhat distinct from that of adult 2 faces. Indeed, recent neuroimaging studies have provided evidence of an 3 early, "baby-specific" neural response whereby infant faces are perceived 4 more rapidly than adult faces. Using event-related potentials, the present 5 study aimed to determine whether the preferential response to infant faces is 6 present at both early and late stages of face processing, and to investigate 7 the effects of aesthetic appearance on the processing of adult and infant 8 faces by directly manipulating the perceived attractiveness or cuteness within 9 a given face identity. Here, we find evidence for enhanced processing of 10 infant faces, relative to adult faces, at both early (N170, P2) and late (LPC) 11 stages of face processing. We also find that the aesthetic appearance of both 12 infant and adult faces modulates early neural responses, with enhanced 13 responses to less attractive/cute faces as compared to more attractive/cute 14 faces. Overall, our results provide additional evidence for a preferential 15 response to infant faces at early stages of processing, and provide new 16 evidence that this preferential response occurs at later stages of face 17 processing as well, independent of the aesthetic quality of the face or 18 observer sex.

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Adult preferences for infantile facial features: An ethological approach

Cited by 179 publications

References 4 publications

Baby schema modulates the brain reward system in nulliparous women

Baby schema modulates the brain reward system in nulliparous women

Menstrual cycle phase affects discrimination of infant cuteness

Early and late event-related potentials are modulated by infant and adult faces of high and low attractiveness

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