Infant attractiveness predicts maternal behaviors and attitudes.

Langlois, Judith H.; Ritter, Jean M.; Casey, Rita J.; Sawin, Douglas B.

doi:10.1037/0012-1649.31.3.464

Cited by 220 publications

(147 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(40 reference statements)

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“…Adults report being more likely to care for, protect and form close bonds with infants displaying cute facial characteristics [1][2][3][4]. Similar patterns of results have been observed in studies of the actual care provided for infants [5].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection

2015

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The factors that contribute to individual differences in the reward value of cute infant facial characteristics are poorly understood. Here we show that the effect of cuteness on a behavioural measure of the reward value of infant faces is greater among women reporting strong maternal tendencies. By contrast, maternal tendencies did not predict women's subjective ratings of the cuteness of these infant faces. These results show, for the first time, that the reward value of infant facial cuteness is greater among women who report being more interested in interacting with infants, implicating maternal tendencies in individual differences in the reward value of infant cuteness. Moreover, our results indicate that the relationship between maternal tendencies and the reward value of infant facial cuteness is not due to individual differences in women's ability to detect infant cuteness. This latter result suggests that individual differences in the reward value of infant cuteness are not simply a by-product of low-cost, functionless biases in the visual system.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection

2015

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“…Moreover, adults typically report being more likely to care for, protect, and form close bonds with infants displaying facial cues that are perceived to be cute (Alley, 1981(Alley, , 1983bGlocker et al, 2008;Hildebrandt & Fitzgerald, 1978). Similar patterns of results have also been observed in studies of both the actual care provided for infants (Badr-Zahr & Abdallah, 2001) and the strength of mother-infant bonds (Hildebrandt & Fitzgerald, 1983;Langlois et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

The reward value of infant facial cuteness tracks within-subject changes in women's salivary testosterone

Hahn

DeBruine

Fisher

et al. 2015

Hormones and Behavior

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between the reward value of infant facial cuteness and within-woman changes in testosterone, estradiol, and progesterone levels. Multilevel modeling of these data showed that infant cuteness was more rewarding when women's salivary testosterone levels were high. Moreover, this within-woman effect of testosterone was independent of the possible effects of estradiol and progesterone and was not simply a consequence of changes in women's cuteness perceptions. These results suggest that testosterone may modulate differential responses to infant facial cuteness, potentially revealing a new route through which testosterone shapes selective allocation of parental resources.

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“…Perceivers judged attractive targets more favorably than unattractive targets even when they knew them. Furthermore, these results show that perceivers treated even familiar children and adults differently based on attractiveness (see, e.g., Langlois et al, 1995). Attractive and unattractive targets should then develop differential behaviors and traits as a result of differential evaluation and treatment.…”

Section: Socialization and Social Expectancy Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 79%

Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.

Langlois¹,

Kalakanis²,

Rubenstein³

et al. 2000

Psychological Bulletin

Self Cite

1,936

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1,638

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Common maxims about beauty suggest that attractiveness is not important in life. In contrast, both fitness-related evolutionary theory and socialization theory suggest that attractiveness influences development and interaction. In 11 meta-analyses, the authors evaluate these contradictory claims, demonstrating that (a) raters agree about who is and is not attractive, both within and across cultures; (b) attractive children and adults are judged more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; (c) attractive children and adults are treated more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; and (d) attractive children and adults exhibit more positive behaviors and traits than unattractive children and adults. Results are used to evaluate social and fitness-related evolutionary theories and the veracity of maxims about beauty.I cannot say often enough how much I consider beauty a powerful and advantageous quality. Socrates called it "A short tyranny," and Plato, '~Fhe privilege of nature." We have no quality that surpasses it in credit. It holds the first place in human relations; it presents itself before the rest, seduces and prepossesses our judgment with great authority and a wondrous impression.--Montaigne, Essays "Beauty is truth, truth beauty," --that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. --Keats, Ode on a Grecian UrnBeauty has interested poets, philosophers, and scientists for centuries. Indeed, the ancient Greeks believed that there is a fundamental relation between beauty and positive qualities: Those who are beautiful are also good (Sappho, Fragment No. 101). "Beauty is good" was empirically tested in a seminal study by Dion, Berscheid, and Walster (1972), who demonstrated that, even in modem times, human beings attribute positive qualities to attractive people and negative qualities to unattractive people. Since this important study, much research has focused on the effects of attractiveness, especially facial attractiveness, on, the attributions, impressions, and stereotypes of strangers. These studies primarily have investigated attributions made by college students about attractive and unattractive strangers based on a photograph of the face and, sometimes, minimal printed "background information" about the hypothetical individuals. This strangerattribution literature has been summarized by earlier meta-analyses (see, e.g., Eagly, Ashmore, Makhijanl, & Longo, 1991;Feingold, 1992b), which have confmned the association between attractiveness and many attributions of positive characteristics. 1Contrary to these findings of a reliable relation between attractiveness and attributions of positive qualifies, however, are several age-old maxims and precepts holding that attractiveness either is not or should not be a significant factor in social interactions or behaviors. Three maxims in particular are heard frequently: (a) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, (b) never judge a book by its cover, and (c) beauty is only skin-deep...

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Infant attractiveness predicts maternal behaviors and attitudes.

Cited by 220 publications

References 28 publications

Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection

Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection

The reward value of infant facial cuteness tracks within-subject changes in women's salivary testosterone

Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.

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