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Dr Alexa Hayley
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#1 Victorian uni for course satisfaction3
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Ever seen a baby animal so adorable that you wanted to squeeze it? Or caught yourself thinking, ‘It’s so cute, I could just eat it up’? You’re not alone!
This paradoxical reaction, known as ‘cuteness aggression’, is a fascinating quirk of human psychology, where overwhelming affection meets surprising bursts of aggression.
But why do we feel this way? What’s going on in our brains when animals like the baby hippo Moo Deng leave us squealing with delight?
Cuteness aggression is the intense emotional reaction we experience when overwhelmed by something undeniably cute, often leading to conflicting feelings of nurturing and aggression.
As Dr Alexa Hayley, a lecturer in Deakin’s School of Psychology, explains, ‘Cuteness aggression is a fascinating, counter-intuitive phenomenon that we’ve likely all experienced at some time.
‘When overwhelmed by a positive or negative stimulus, people can experience dimorphous emotional expression, meaning they experience and express two seemingly contradictory emotions at once.’
Essentially, when we encounter something irresistibly cute, we feel an overwhelming urge to nurture and protect it, yet simultaneously experience impulses to pinch, squish, or even ‘devour’ the object of our affection.
Originally studied in response to human babies, this effect has now been observed in many animals, particularly mammals.
As an example of ‘interspecies dimorphous emotional response’, Dr Hayley explains that cuteness aggression doesn’t actually involve any intent to harm; it’s just a natural way of expressing a mixture of affection, protectiveness and overwhelming emotion. We might squeal, clench our fists, or even say we want to “attack” the adorable animal — but in a light-hearted, playful way.
Our response to ‘cute’ animals goes back to evolutionary biology.
Cuteness isn’t just about appearance; it’s an innate mechanism that triggers our protective instincts, ensuring the survival and care of young animals and infants.
This response is especially strong when we encounter animals with ‘neonatal features’, such as large eyes, small noses, soft fur, and chubby cheeks. These universal markers of cuteness, particularly common in mammals, not only captivate our attention but also elicit profound emotional responses.
‘The attractiveness of neonatal features is a well-established factor in psychological research of caregiving and relationships,’ Dr Hayley explains.
‘It’s also an established factor in what we find attractive about other animals, particularly baby animals and especially our companion animals, like dogs and cats.’
She continues, ‘When we perceive animals to be ‘cute’, our perceptions are transfixed, and we’re emotionally and neurologically overwhelmed by how good perceiving the cute animal makes us feel.’
Psychologically and socially, this cuteness effect compels us to focus on the adorable creature, urging us to nurture and protect it.
Some animals have a special power to make us feel a little… unhinged.
From sleepy kittens with tiny meows and tumbling baby pandas, to quokkas flashing their signature smiles and otters holding hands while floating on their backs, certain creatures effortlessly spark intense affection — and sometimes, an overwhelming urge to smother them with love.
Take Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo, for example. ‘Moo Deng has all the classic neonatal features that make us go ‘naw!’, Dr Hayley says.
From her large, round eyes and small ears to her chubby face, soft jowls and chunky little legs, Moo Deng epitomises everything we find irresistibly cute in baby animals.
Her cuteness triggers an emotional response that compels us to nurture and protect—and paradoxically, feel a sudden urge to squeeze her! This intense reaction of cuteness aggression is our brains attempting to process the overwhelming cuteness by priming us for potential threat, helping us manage these intense emotions in a healthy way.
Like Moo Deng, animals like red pandas, hedgehogs and baby sloths also share those irresistible neonatal features – big eyes, soft bodies and round faces – that we simply can’t resist.
It’s not just about how these animals look; it’s about the rush of emotions they trigger, blending affection, protectiveness and playful urges to ‘squeeze them’.
Moo Deng’s viral fame is a perfect example of how cuteness aggression manifests and why it’s so irresistible.
With her tiny, chubby body, waddling movements and playful antics, the pygmy hippo’s cuteness is off the charts.
Dr Hayley explains, ‘we think of hippos as these large, aggressive animals lurking in rivers and waiting to attack, but Moo Deng is a baby pygmy hippo, the tiniest of the tiny hippo babies.’
‘Her harmless ‘attacks’ toward her handler are completely toothless, so instead of fear we experience delight at her ineffective antics,’ explains Dr Hayley.
Moo Deng’s personality also contributes to her appeal. Her playful expressions, like her mouth open in what looks like a cheeky argument, make her appear almost human-like, further deepening our emotional connection.
‘Moo Deng’s viral success is likely due to the uniqueness of her cuteness which demands more attention and makes us want to learn more about her,’ says Dr Hayley, noting that her appearance is both familiar (in her baby-like features) and exotic (as a pygmy hippo, not exactly an everyday pet).
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand has cleverly leveraged Moo Deng’s appeal, sharing her photos and streaming her antics online to draw in visitors and keep her fans engaged.
Her name, meaning ‘bouncy pork’ in Thai, also adds a touch of humour to her already adorable image. Chosen by her fans, this playful name reinforces their emotional connection to her and taps into their underlying feelings of cuteness aggression.
As Dr Hayley puts it, ‘What do you do with ‘bouncy pork’ balls? You eat them.’
@bestofmoodeng
From heartwarming clips of playful puppies to the leisurely charm of Molé the baby sloth, cute animal content is everywhere – and it’s easy to see why.
These videos bring us real joy, offering a chance to unwind, share a laugh or simply ‘awww’ with friends.
As Dr Hayley explains, ‘exposure to cute animals online brings many people a sense of novelty, distraction and empathic concern, and in the case of common companion animals, provides a means to develop social connections with other people by showing them what they love about their own or others’ animals.’
And for animals we’re less familiar with, like Molé, these videos spark curiosity and make us appreciate the vast diversity in the animal world.
But the media’s obsession with cuteness has a darker side, too. Social media can sometimes make wild and exotic animals seem like they belong in our living rooms, and even our beloved dogs and cats risk being viewed as cute ‘accessories’ rather than complex companions.
Dr Hayley cautions, ‘Beyond encouraging spontaneous animal adoption, social media can portray companion animals as attractive, one-dimensional beings that exist for our positive regard, encouraging their production and acquisition as consumables despite our prosocial emotional responses.’
While cuteness aggression is totally natural, it can be intense, leaving you with a tug-of-war between nurturing and impulsively wanting to squeeze (or nibble).
So, how do you manage those conflicting urges to both protect and ‘attack’ the adorable creature in front of you?
Dr Hayley suggests the first step is to recognise when you’re in that heightened emotional state. Once you identify the trigger (like a super cute sausage dog named Elvis), she advises: ‘Take a deep breath and calm yourself. Breathing techniques and muscle relaxation techniques are fast, efficient ways to stabilise mood, attention and heart rate.’
And if the cuteness is simply too much to handle, Dr Hayley recommends stepping away from the adorable creature to regain control over your emotions.
‘Take some time to reflect on the strength of your emotional response to that animal, why it happened, and what it means for you,’ she says.
You might find that your cuteness aggression sparks thoughts like, ‘I need to get my own puppy right now’.
Dr Hayley advises challenging these urges once you’re calm, so you don’t make any hasty decisions – like adopting a pet on a whim without considering the long-term commitment involved.
Cuteness aggression is a fascinating blend of joy and overwhelming emotion. It reminds us that our connections to animals – whether it’s the adorable Moo Deng or our own furry friends – stir up feelings that go beyond simple affection.
So, the next time you find yourself squealing at an irresistibly cute creature, just remember: it’s perfectly normal to feel that mix of love and playfulness — even if it makes you want to squeeze them (but, you know, not too hard!).
