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

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Adult preferences for infantile facial features: An ethological approach

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

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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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Children’s Preferences for Infantile Features in Dogs and Cats
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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
“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
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
“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
“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., & Kubinyi, E. (2023) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105948 · Cited by 21
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 23
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
A comparison of evolutionary and environmental theories of erotic response part II: Empirical arenas
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People's perception of brachycephalic breeds and breed-related welfare problems in Germany
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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
Responsiveness to babies: Life-situation specific sex differences in adulthood
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“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
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Colour matters more than shape for chimpanzees’ recognition of developmental face changes
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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
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
“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
Chinese infant facial cues
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Ethological Approaches to Nonverbal Communication
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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 19
Brachycephalic ocular syndrome in dogs
Nutbrown-Hughes, D. (2021) · Companion animal · doi:10.12968/coan.2020.0056 · Cited by 16

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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