Preference for Cute Infants Does Not Depend on Their Ethnicity or Species: Evidence from Hypothetical Adoption and Donation Paradigms

Abstract

Results of previous work suggest a preference of adult observers for cute compared to less cute infants. In Study 1 we investigated whether the preference for cute infants depends on the ethnicity and species of the infant. We simultaneously presented two faces (one cute and one less cute) and asked Caucasian participants to choose the infant to whom they would rather give a toy (Task 1) and which infant they would rather adopt (Task 2). The infants were Caucasian or African human babies or dog puppies. For all face categories and in both tasks we found a strong preference for cute infants. A possible reason for preferring cute infants may be that cute infants look healthier than less cute infants. To investigate whether cuteness is associated with the assessment of health we conducted Study 2. Faces of Caucasian and African infants and dog puppies were rated for cuteness and health. The findings revealed a significant relationship between health and cuteness evaluation across all stimuli. We suggest that one reason why cute infants are preferred might be because they are perceived as being healthier.

On Cuteness: Unlocking the Parental Brain and Beyond

“…When presented with cute and less-cute infants, adults prefer to give a toy to or even adopt the cuter one [29]. Adults who see an infant face prior to a simple task have faster reaction times and sustain their engagement in the task [30].…”

Preferential attention to same‐and other‐ethnicity infant faces does not fully overcome the other‐race effect

“…Evidence suggests that preference for infant features is independent of ethnicity (Alley, ; Chin, Wade, & French, ; Golle, Probst, Mast, & Lobmaier, ) and even species (Borgi, Cogliati‐Dezza, Brelsford, Meints, & Cirulli, ; Golle, Lisibach, Mast, & Lobmaier, ; Golle et al, ; Little, ). Golle et al () reported that participants were more willing to adopt and give a toy to cuter puppies and infants, regardless of the infant's ethnicity. Similarly, Chin found that infants with large eyes, a key characteristic of Kindchenschema, were considered cuter than infants with small eyes, regardless of ethnicity (Chin et al, ).…”

Endogenous Testosterone and Exogenous Oxytocin Modulate Attentional Processing of Infant Faces

“…Important to note is that baby schema seems to be a universal stimulus. On the one hand, because it appears in almost every mammal [28], and on the other hand, because the degree of baby schema in human adults or infants, cats and dogs modulates cuteness perception [37,39–41]. Especially for women of reproductive age, newborns are extremely relevant stimuli, because their survival is directly linked to reproductive success.…”