For the N200, based on previous studies ( Kanske and Kotz, 2010, 2011), four regions of interests were defined: left anterior (FP1, F3, FC5), right anterior (FC6, F4, F8), left posterior: (CP5, P3, P7, O1) and right posterior (O2, P4, P8, CP6). Dimorphous expressions of positive emotion: displays of both care and aggression in response to cute stimuli. Near the end of the book at Shino's marriage, she realizes that her best friend wasn't Megumu, but it was Mitsuru and spoke out loud for the first time. initially operationalized the phenomenon of “cute aggression” through individual self-reports while viewing cute stimuli. Serial mediation model of the effect of RewP amplitude on the outcome of cute aggression, mediated by caretaking and feeling overwhelmed for “more cute” animals.

It is important to note that because the words “playful aggression” were utilized in the behavioral measures, participants were not entirely “blind” to the conceptual framework of the current study.found that the relationship between ratings of how cute something is, and cute aggression was mediated by the experience of being overwhelmed by positive feelings.

When the ANOVA was re-run with gender as a between subjects factor, no significant effects of gender were observed. Well, Yellow-necked has really bulging eyes, and my mouse's eyes do look like little berries that haven't been pushed far enough into its head. Note that RewP amplitude was calculated by subtracting brain activity in the “less cute animals” condition from brain activity in response to the “more cute animals” condition. This is an important consideration, particularly as our findings were most robust for animals, and no differences in brain activity or behavior were observed for images of babies. Negative slow waves as indices of anticipation: the Bereitschaftspotential, the contingent negative variation, and the stimulus-preceding negativity,” in The Oxford Handbook of Event-Related Potential Components, eds J.Behavioral data suggest that appraisal and expressions of caretaking are mediated by being overwhelmed, and that feelings of cute aggression and caretaking are highly correlated ( Aragón et al.

For all subsequent analyses reported in the manuscript, behavioral ratings of “more cute” and “less cute” babies were collapsed due to lack of significant differences in behavioral ratings between conditions.Participants rated baby animals significantly higher than adult animals on all five items (all ps < 0. For example, in the case of cute animals, these findings suggest that cute aggression is not simply correlated with caretaking—but is mediated by how cute individuals find animals, and how overwhelmed they feel. She mused aloud that individuals who have children might be more likely to experience cute aggression in response to cute babies compared to those who do not have children. We interpret this as a less robust difference between the two condition for babies compared to animals.