Cuteness- inborn or bred?

Baby....cute. Kitten....cute. Puppy....cute.

Is our appreciation for cute things natural or socially constructed or a mix of both? Is cuteness innocence, lack of experience, and helplessness combined?

(Off topic: ever notice how we tilt our heads when we say "Awww..."?)

Hahaha.. I really have to think about this one. I guess that, personally, I associate cute with images I would have "wanted" to see as a little girl. I think that as children we see things as black and white - good or bad. Big dogs = bad; tiny puppies = good. If something is frightening to a child, it isn't cute.

Need some perspective? http://www.cuteoverload.com/

I gotta admit there's some pretty ugly babies out there. I'd say in general about half. I think cute has a good tie with charming.

quote:

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Is our appreciation for cute things natural or socially constructed or a mix of both?

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Generally speaking it is a combination of the two. As a child you may see something and call it cute but if it happens to be a dirty diaper you will probably get corrected and told that it in fact is not cute. Likewise you may see a puppy and call it ugly and also be corrected.

Even in the case of thinking things are cute based on characteristics normally considered ugly would be socially influenced or else you would not have anything to compare it to.

Would this help in your evaluation?
http://www.codescripter.net/images/notcute.gif

I agree that society influences us, but the whole natural perception of cuteness boggles me. How is it that we have these instincts? How do they work?

hormones and sex cells. it sounds shallow because it is. accept it.

I can guess that much. But does anyone know the specifics?

Attolia: 'Cuteness' is an evolutionary adaptation to ensure parents of organisms nurture their offspring. This is a trait that allows the success of the species. Humans react more positively to animals that appear infant-with usually large facial characteristics than to animals that do not. Physical features of 'cuteness' in youth are shared with many other young especially in the mammalian world- large, rounded heads relative to body length, large eyes, and small noses.This is known as paedomorphism. "Cuteness" is a physical cue that we are biologically predisposed to respond to with a feeling of love and caring.

id say sex cells have very little to do with it awakened, being as cute is usually accredited to very young animals or humans, cute as used to mean sexually attractive, is a different idea.

i would agree with summit, but would also say it is also only one of a number of factors, i think cute is there so we protect any young, of our own species or some others. there are other things that affect us with regard to our own offspring, even the parents of "ugly" or disfigured children care about them, and protect them.

there is also a tendency for anything classed as cute to be small, or at least compared to its parent creature. even when it is a guy describing a girl as cute, he is usually reffering to a petite slim girl.

Summit, can you be more specific? Do you know (or can you direct me to any site that explains) the physiological details? Or do you know any good neuropsychology sites?

I learnt a little bit of it at uni. not sure about any good websites. I know of a book though:

Konrad Lorenz, "Part and Parcel in Animal and Human Societies". in Studies in animal and human behavior, vol. 2. pp. 115-195. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP, 1971 (originally pub. 1950.)

I suggest search for- paedomorphism. even try googlescholar

A science dedicated to the study of cuteness...I have now heard everything and have realized that people have far too much time on their hands.

Don't underestimate cuteness. If it makes parents more likely to take care of their kids, I'd say it's a huge issue. The bigger issue it touches is why parents take care of offspring when offspring don't offer any material benefits.

Jacker- thats the same as saying there are studies dedicated to the pyschology of emotion such as love. If its part of natural behaviour, then its going to be significant within ethology and neuropsych industries.