Adult preferences for infantile facial features: an ethological approach

Sternglanz, Sarah Hall; Gray, James L.; Murakami, Melvin

doi:10.1016/0003-3472(77)90072-0

Cited by 181Evolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorFace Recognition and PerceptionAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

Adult preferences for infantile facial features: an ethological approach

Sternglanz, Sarah Hall, Gray, James L., Murakami, Melvin·1977·Animal Behaviour

DOI 10.1016/0003-3472(77)90072-0

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Abstract

In 1943 Konrad Lorenz postulated that certain infantile cues served as releasers for caretaking behaviour in human adults. This study is an attempt to confirm this hypothesis and to identify relevant cues. The stimuli studied were variations in facial features, and the responses were ratings of the attractiveness of the resultant infant faces. Parametric variations of eye height, eye width, eye height and width, iris size, and vertical variations in feature position (all presented in full-face drawings) were tested for their effect on the ratings, and highly significant preferences for particular stimuli were found. In general these preferences are consistent across a wide variety of environmental factors such as social class and experience with children. These findings are consistent with an ethological interpretation of the data.

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Baby faces showing paedomorphic traits are commonly described as cute or attractive.
“Baby faces showing these features are commonly described as cute or attractive (Sternglanz et al., 1977).”
From Back to basics: A re-evaluation of the relevance of imprinting in the genesis of Bowlby’s attachment theory (2022) · cites this paper as Sternglanz et al., 1977

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“Several empirical psychological [26,27,28,29,30,31,44,45,46,47,48,49], endocrinological [50,51], and neuroimaging studies [43,52] have supported his ideas.”
Background
That brachycephalic look: Infant-like facial appearance in short-muzzled dog breeds
Paul, E. S., Packer, R. M. A., McGreevy, P. D., Coombe, E., Mendl, E., & Neville, V. (2023) · Animal Welfare · doi:10.1017/awf.2022.6 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“…‘ kindchenschema ’ and their effects on adult observers has focused on the coronal plane of the head (fronto-facial features: Fullard & Reiling 1976; Sternglanz et al. 1977; Hildebrandt & Fitzgerald 1979; Alley 1981; Berry & McArthur 1985; McKelvie 1993; Brosch et al. 2007; Glocker et al. 2009;…”
Background
Age-Related Changes in Body Proportions, Body Size, and Perceived Cuteness
Alley, T. R. (1983) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1983.56.2.615 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“While several previous studies using photographs or drawings have provided evidence of the power of infantile morphology to elicit positive affective responses in adults (1, 4, 6, 11, 16, 20, 30), these studies have been concerned only with craniofacial characteristics.”
Result
THE FACE AND SOCIAL ATTRIBUTION
Shepherd, J. (1989) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-87143-5.50024-x · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Preferences of female rhesus monkeys (Macaca Mulatta) for infantile coloration
Higley, J. D., Hopkins, W. D., Hirsch, R. M., Marra, L. C., & Suomi, S. J. (1987) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.420200105 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Children’s Preferences for Infantile Features in Dogs and Cats
Borgi, M., & Cirulli, F. (2013) · Human-animal interaction bulletin · doi:10.1079/hai.2013.0010 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
The effect of infant fetal alcohol syndrome facial features on adoption preference
Waller, K. L., Volk, A. A., & Quinsey, V. L. (2004) · Human Nature · doi:10.1007/s12110-004-1006-8 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“In agreement with previous studies (Hildebrandt and Fitzgerald 1979; Kelley et al. 1996; Sternglanz et al. 1975 ), ratings of infant attractiveness seem to be positively related to the degree of facial averageness, and negatively related to deformities.”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Changes in Responsiveness to Babies during Adolescence
Feldman, S. S., & Nash, S. C. (1979) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.1979.tb02453.x · Cited by 25 · see citing works
The other-race effect does not apply to infant faces: An ERP attentional study
Proverbio, A. M., & Gabriele, V. D. (2017) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.03.028 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Indeed, the whole set of paedomorphic characteristics typical of an infantile face called “ baby schema ” includes a round face, high forehead, big eyes, small nose and mouth, chubby cheeks, and a large head as compared to the baby's shoulder (Lorenz, 1971; Sternglanz et al., 1977).”
Back to basics: A re-evaluation of the relevance of imprinting in the genesis of Bowlby’s attachment theory
Robledo, J.-P., Cross, I., Boada-Bayona, L., & Demogeot, N. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1033746 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Baby faces showing these features are commonly described as cute or attractive (Sternglanz et al., 1977).”
Background
The brachycephalic paradox: The relationship between attitudes, demography, personality, health awareness, and dog-human eye contact
Bognár, Z., & Enikö Kubinyi, B. (2023) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105948 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Not all “caregivers” are created equal: Liking, caring and facial expression responses to the baby schema as a function of parenthood and testosterone
Löwenbrück, F., & Heß, U. (2021) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108120 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
STEREOTYPING IN PERCEPTION OF ATTRACTIVENESS, AGE, AND GENDER IN SCHEMATIC FACES
McKelvie, S. J. (1993) · Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal · doi:10.2224/sbp.1993.21.2.121 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
A comparison of evolutionary and environmental theories of erotic response part II: Empirical arenas
Singer, B. F. (1985) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224498509551275 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
People's perception of brachycephalic breeds and breed-related welfare problems in Germany
Steinert, K., Kühne, F., Krämer, M., & Hackbarth, H. (2019) · Journal of Veterinary Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2019.06.006 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Chimpanzees, but not bonobos, attend more to infant than adult conspecifics
Kawaguchi, Y., Kano, F., & Tomonaga, M. (2019) · Animal Behaviour · doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.06.014 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Responsiveness to babies: Life-situation specific sex differences in adulthood
Nash, S. C., & Feldman, S. S. (1980) · Sex Roles · doi:10.1007/bf00287495 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Are Brachycephalic Dogs Really Cute? Evidence from Online Descriptions
Paul, E. S., Coombe, E., McGreevy, P. D., Packer, R. M. A., & Neville, V. (2023) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.1080/08927936.2023.2176590 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“eyes contribute to the cute effect (e.g., Hildebrandt & Fitzgerald, 1979; Sternglanz et al., 1977), although this finding has not been universal (e.”
Background
Influence of Age-independent Facial Traits on Adult Judgments of Cuteness and Infantility of a Child's Face
Komori, M., & Nittono, H. (2013) · Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.10.235 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Approaches to Goldie: A Field Study of Human Approach Responses to Canine Juvenescence
Fridlund, A. J., & Macdonald, M. (1998) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.2752/089279398787000751 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Colour matters more than shape for chimpanzees’ recognition of developmental face changes
Kawaguchi, Y., Nakamura, K., & Tomonaga, M. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-75284-2 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Effects of Feature Variations on Attributions for Schematic Faces
McKelvie, S. J. (1993) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.2466/pr0.1993.73.1.275 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
The Application of Geometric Morphometrics to Explore Potential Impacts of Anthropocentric Selection on Animals' Ability to Communicate via the Face: The Domestic Cat as a Case Study
Finka, L. R., Luna, S. P. L., Mills, D. S., & Farnworth, M. J. (2020) · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.606848 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“In accordance with the concept of certain facial features being more attractive because they elicit care-giving behavior (33, 34), for brachycephalic cats, our findings imply that this may extend beyond a paedomorphic appearance, to include features associated with pain expression.”
Background
Some Attractiveness Parameters from Birth to Four Years
Horvath, T., Szmigelsky, L., & Fenton, L. A. (1987) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1987.64.3c.1243 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Chinese infant facial cues
Volk, A. A. (2009) · Journal of Evolutionary Psychology · doi:10.1556/jep.7.2009.3.3 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Ethological Approaches to Nonverbal Communication
Camras, L. A. (1982) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-1761-7_1 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Revisiting the baby schema by a geometric morphometric analysis of infant facial characteristics across great apes
Kawaguchi, Y., Nakamura, K., Tajima, T., & Waller, B. M. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-31731-4 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Brachycephalic ocular syndrome in dogs
Nutbrown-Hughes, D. (2021) · Companion animal · doi:10.12968/coan.2020.0056 · Cited by 14 · see citing works

Authors: Sternglanz, S. H., Gray, J. L., & Murakami, M.
Affiliations: Stony Brook University (US)
Venue: Animal Behaviour
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 1977-02
Volume: 25
Issue: 1
Pages: 108-115
ISSN: 0003-3472 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/0003-3472(77)90072-0
OpenAlex: W1978701032
Cited by: 180
References: 9
Citations by year: 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 3
FWCI: 5.06
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Animal Behaviour (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords: facial attractiveness, Konrad Lorenz, ethology, eye height, eye width, social class
MeSH terms: Adult, Cues, Facial Expression, Humans, Infant, Interpersonal Relations, Sex Factors

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Adult preferences for infantile facial features: an ethological approach

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