Why do cute things make us 'angry'?

When you see a picture of an unbearably cute animal, are you ever filled with so much emotion, all you can do is grit your teeth or clench your fists? Do you feel an urge to squeeze something, even if you have no intention to cause any harm?

Don’t worry, what you’re experiencing is perfectly normal. It’s called cute aggression or playful aggression.

Cute aggression is a type of 'dimorphous expression'. That’s when your external actions or expressions don’t match what you’re feeling on the inside.

Another example of a dimorphous expression would be when you’re so happy, you can’t help but cry. If someone took a photo of you in that moment and showed it to someone else without any context, that person might be justifiably worried about your wellbeing.

But why do some of us react in this strange way? We spoke to the psychologist Dr Oriana Aragón of Clemson University, who led the initial research into cute aggression, to find out more.

Our facial expressions provide context

Facial expressions play a huge role in helping us to communicate. They demonstrate to others how we are feeling and how we might act next.

Oriana uses the example of someone crying with happiness after receiving an award: “At that moment, when they smile, you’d have the impression that they’re very happy. If they start crying, our research shows that you’d have the impression that they’re very happy and also that they need a minute to regroup or regain.

“Or if they went 'Yes!' and kind of did an aggressive, clenching teeth motion, you’d have the impression that the person is very happy and fired up, ready to go.”

In an intense moment like that, a simple smile can’t convey all of that emotional information.

As we evolved as a species, it became incredibly important for people to understand what those around them were going to do next. It’s how you build cooperation.

Oriana explains: “Even when you're in opposition to someone else, it's really important to understand kind of where they're at. And we think that these dimorphous expressions, which come about only, it seems, in pretty intense emotional experiences, send a lot of information to onlookers as to what that person's emotional motivational state is.”

She believes it's exactly the same with babies and animals. If someone is out for a walk with their puppy, a stranger might stop and smile at the cute dog. Oriana argues that a simple smile from the stranger "won’t tell you how that person is feeling, if they want to go and rile it up or if they want to just be gentle. It doesn't give you all the information.”

Someone who wishes to be very tender and gentle with a dog or baby might express a kind of cute sadness, rather than aggression. This is characterised by a really exaggerated pout, droopy eyes, wrinkled forehead and an 'Awwww!'.

Not everyone experiences cute aggression

Oriana estimates that around 50 to 60% of people act in a mock aggressive way when confronted with something unbearably cute.

Psychologists don’t yet know whether those who don’t feel cute aggression simply don’t have as intensely emotional experiences, or if they have other ways of expressing themselves.

If you do experience cute aggression, research shows you’re probably also the type of person who cries at a wedding. These types of dimorphous expressions tend to cluster within a person.

The recipe for cuteness

Typically, the things we find cute have a set of physical characteristics called the Kinderschema or baby schema. This includes rounded cheeks, big eyes, a large forehead, a small chin and a small nose.

When we see something that has these characteristics, we have an urge to behave in the same way we would with babies. We want to protect it, care for it, be close to it and provide for it.

Even inanimate objects which fulfill some of these characteristics can be considered cute. More recent research has shown that by simply rounding the edges of a product, such as an alarm clock or car headlights, it will generate more of a response. We’re always looking for the Kinderschema in the world around us and when there’s a match, we have an emotional response.

It also helps if something is a miniature version.

Oriana uses the example of an aerial shot of a whale: “You can see the water and you can see the silhouette of the whale. That’s a beautiful picture of a whale. But then there’s another shot with a zoom out. And you can see that what you had been looking at was the little whale next to the mother whale. And now it’s adorable. Yet, we just changed relative size.”

Cute aggression doesn’t mean you actually want to hurt something

In fact, Oriana states that it “represents a very warm and positive feeling…And the expression just comes out like gritted teeth and pinching and higher pitched voices.”

She also highlights how using dimorphous expressions towards a baby can actually be helpful. It teaches babies to recognise the difference between playful aggression and true aggression. This is an important skill to learn as playful aggression will make frequent appearances throughout their lives.

So next time you feel overwhelmed by cuteness, don’t worry! It’s completely natural.