"Parental" responses to human infants (and puppy dogs): Evidence that the perception of eyes is especially influential, but eye contact is not.

ABSTRACT: The present investigation tests: (i) whether the perception of an human infant's eyes, relative to other facial features, especially strongly elicits "parental" responses (e.g., appraisals of cuteness and vulnerability); (ii) if, so, whether effects of the visual perception of eyes may be partially attributable to eye contact; (iii) whether the perception of non-human animals' (puppy dogs') eyes also especially strongly influence appraisals of their cuteness and vulnerability; and (iv) whether individual differences in caregiving motives moderate effects. Results from 5 experiments (total N = 1458 parents and non-parents) provided empirical evidence to evaluate these hypotheses: Appraisals of human infants were influenced especially strongly by the visual perception of human infants' eyes

SUBMITTER: Woo BM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7202593 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature