Why cute stuff makes you go 'aww'

We are inclined to find animals cute that have features similar to babies. Photo / iStock

What is it about a clumsy puppy or a curled up kitten that makes grown adults fall all over themselves like overwhelmed children?

Turns out it's the similarities between certain baby animals and human babies that are responsible for triggering our shameless 'cooing' reactions - which serves to explain why the likes of a hairless newborn rat doesn't generate the same 'gaga' response.

These reactions are essentially a survival instinct: We are biologically programmed to find human babies cute so we'll be inclined to take care of them and further the human race.

Photo / iStock

Big eyes and furry, podgy bodies are the traits we find hard to resist and seeing cute little creatures sporting these features floods our bodies with feel-good chemicals.

Categorised as baby schema, it's this set of characteristics that triggers our caretaking desires. So when we see something totally adorable, we'll be more than likely compelled to want to rush up and touch it.

This is because it stimulates an area in our mid-brains known as the mesocorticolimbic system, the part of the brain associated with processing motivation and reward. Our brains recognise cute features which causes a surge of the neurotransmitter dopamine (also involved when falling in love).

And it doesn't end at babies and animals. As you may have experienced, inanimate objects can also invoke "OMG, cute!" reactions.

Photo / iStock

Think Hello Kitty and other cute characters chosen to front brands. Even car manufacturers like Mini Cooper have played up to our cute receptors by making the cars' headlights large and round to mimic a pair of baby peepers.

You may also have experienced what's known as 'cuteness aggression' where something seems so incredibly cute you want to squeeze it a little harder than you should. This is your brain sensing cuteness then trying to overcompensate for it.

This ability to find babies adorable means we're more likely to look past the fact that they cry almost constantly and cause unknown exhaustion and tiredness, and love them anyway.

- nzherald.co.nz