All That Glistens: II. The Effects of Reflective Surface Finishes on the Mouthing Activity of Infants and Toddlers

Coss, Richard G.; Ruff, Saralyn C.; Simms, Tara

doi:10.1207/s15326969eco1503_1

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…On the other hand, there is some previous theory to support an evolutionary interpretation of children's attentional processes (Balling and Falk, 1982;Coss et al, 2003;Orians and Heerwagen, 1992).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish in a mall aquarium—An ethological investigation of biophilia

Windhager

Atzwanger

Bookstein

et al. 2011

Landscape and Urban Planning

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish in a mall aquarium—An ethological investigation of biophilia

Windhager

Atzwanger

Bookstein

et al. 2011

Landscape and Urban Planning

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“…In particular, adults perceive glossy surface finishes as much wetter and less dry than matte and sandy surface finishes (Coss & Moore, 1990). Moreover, Coss, Ruff, and Simms (2003) tested whether the glossiness of objects enhanced infants' mouthing activities (i.e., licking the objects). Indeed, results showed significant increases in the percentage of mouthing when presenting glossy (vs. dull) plates or objects with a mirror finish.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taking a shine to it: How the preference for glossy stems from an innate need for water

Meert¹,

Pandelaere²,

Patrick³

2013

J Consum Psychol

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Human beings are attracted to glossy objects. However, the investigation of whether this preference for glossy is a systematic bias, and the rationale for why, has received little or no attention. Drawing on an evolutionary psychology framework, we propose and test the hypothesis that the preference for glossy stems from an innate preference for fresh water as a valuable resource. In a set of six studies we demonstrate the preference for glossy among both adults and young children (studies 1A, 1B and 2) ruling out a socialization explanation, investigate the hypothesis that the preference for glossy stems from an innate need for water as a resource (studies 3 and 5) and, in addition, rule out the more superficial account of glossy = pretty (study 4). The interplay between the different perspectives, implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.

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“…An interesting example of this proposed evolutionary process can be seen in the work of Coss and Moore [43,44] and Coss et al [45] who explored childhood mouthing behavior and infant attraction to reflective surfaces. They explored possible evolutionary explanations for this behavior and concluded that one possible explanation lies in early hominoid efforts to detect sources of water and prevent dehydration.…”

Section: Evolutionary Approaches To Environmental Connectednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their research is based, in part, on the observation of infant and toddler licking in a manner similar to contemporary human drinking from pooled sources in outdoor settings. The researchers posit that the mouthing behavior may be "...the precocious ability to recognize the glossy and sparkling features of water long before this information is useful later in development" [45] (p. 197). Adevi and Grahn [46] noted this finding and related it to human landscape preference, as in support for evolutionary explanations to the human preference to life near water, in their study of cultural determinants and innate reflexes in our evolutionary background.…”

Section: Evolutionary Approaches To Environmental Connectednessmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Environmental Connectedness to Sustainable Futures: Topophilia and Human Affiliation with Nature

2015

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Human affiliation with nonhuman nature is an important dimension of environmental concern and support for pro-environmental attitudes. A significant theory of human connectedness with nature, the Biophilia Hypothesis, suggests that there exists a genetically based inclination for human affiliation with the biological world. Both support and challenge to the Biophilia Hypothesis are abundant in the literature of environmental psychology. One response that both challenges and builds upon the Biophilia Hypothesis is the Topophilia Hypothesis. The Topophilia Hypothesis has extended the ideas of biophilia to incorporate a broader conception of nonhuman nature and a co-evolutionary theory of genetic response and cultural learning. While the Topophilia Hypothesis is a new idea, it is built upon long-standing scholarship from humanistic geography and theories in human evolution. The Topophilia Hypothesis expands previous theory and provides a multidisciplinary consideration of how biological selection and cultural learning may have interacted during human evolution to promote adaptive mechanisms for human affiliation with nonhuman nature via specific place attachment. Support for this possible co-evolutionary foundation for place-based human affiliation with nonhuman nature is explored from multiple vantage points. We raise the question of whether this affiliation may have implications for multifunctional landscape management. Ultimately, we propose that nurturing potential topophilic tendencies may be a useful method to promote sustainable efforts at the local level with implications for the global. OPEN ACCESS

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All That Glistens: II. The Effects of Reflective Surface Finishes on the Mouthing Activity of Infants and Toddlers

Cited by 21 publications

References 29 publications

Fish in a mall aquarium—An ethological investigation of biophilia

Fish in a mall aquarium—An ethological investigation of biophilia

Taking a shine to it: How the preference for glossy stems from an innate need for water

From Environmental Connectedness to Sustainable Futures: Topophilia and Human Affiliation with Nature

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