Popular Mechanics: Cute aggression could have evolutionary benefits
UC professor explores why emotions don’t seem to match true feelings
The desire to squeeze a puppy or pinch a baby’s cheeks might have an evolutionary basis that makes people better caretakers and contributes to our survival, Popular Mechanics reported.
Oriana Aragon, assistant professor of marketing
Oriana Aragon, PhD, a social psychologist and assistant professor of marketing in the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business, first identified the phenomenon of cute aggression a decade ago.
While individuals may feel a strong urge to squeeze something cute, there’s no desire for harm. Rather, it’s a mismatch of expressions.
“[D]imorphous expressions are when your emotions do not match what we would normally expect you to be feeling based upon your emotional expression,” Aragon said. “So, if you were to see people crying tears of joy, when removed from context, people think that the person is sad. In context, for instance, when receiving an award or seeing a loved one for the first time in a long time, those tears are easily interpreted as representing a positive emotion.”
Researchers have suggested the feelings of cute aggression could be a release valve for emotions when seeing something cute or act as a reminder to treat fragile babies with care.
“Physical characteristics such as physical roundness, large wide-set eyes, round cheeks, small chins, and even being a miniature version of something create ‘cuteness,’” Aragon said. “These features can make human babies and baby animals seem cute, and even products such as cars can seem cute when they have these features.”
Featured image at top: Father holding his baby boy. Photo/Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Medical devices exec touts UC co-op
October 15, 2026
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science alumnus Adam Hauke talks to Medium about the speed of innovation in developing new medical devices. Hauke is global director of product strategy & innovation at Gentherm Medical. He earned a doctorate and bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from UC.
What does Kroger's restructuring mean for Cincinnati?
October 15, 2026
Two UC economists spoke to WLWT on what Kroger's planned job cuts mean for the company and the community where it's headquartered.
More physical activity may mean slower Parkinson’s disease progression
October 15, 2026
National media including the Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report highlighted University of Cincinnati research that found higher levels of physical activity were associated with slower declines in thinking and memory as well as slower worsening of movement symptoms for people with Parkinson’s disease.