In a similar post, we discussed how looking at animal photos may improve your well-being. But did you know that it may also increase relationship satisfaction?
A 2017 study published in Psychological Science found that people who viewed these adorable photos alongside their spouses had more positive automatic responses when they saw their partner. They’ve also shown more overall satisfaction in their marriages.
Another perceived benefit of viewing cute animal photos is a boost in productivity. A group of Japanese researchers discovered this in a study entitled The Power of Kawaii, which means “adorable” in their language.
The researchers had one group of participants look at Grumpy Cat videos and watch panda cams before and after performing tasks that required concentration, like playing the board game Operation.
The study, which was led by researcher Dr. Hiroshi Nittono, found that those who viewed the cute photos performed significantly better than those who didn’t. They also discovered that baby animal videos gave the participants a more narrowed focus.
If you’ve ever uttered something along the lines of, “It’s so cute, I could crush it,” and felt like something was wrong with you, fret not. According to experts, the aggression you feel is a typical response during cross-wiring in the brain.
As cognitive neuroscience lecturer Dr. Anna Brooks tells Vice, the dopamine release when we see something adorable also brings out our aggressive tendencies. However, our developed brains also help mitigate those strong emotions.
“The ability to regulate one’s strength of emotional response is highly adaptive: It stops us from investing too much energy into things,” she explained.
“The ability to regulate one’s strength of emotional response is highly adaptive: It stops us from investing too much energy into things,” she explained.
