Adorable aggression: why do we pinch cheeks or hug hard?

An instinctive reaction known as “adorable aggression,” is at the heart of a fascinating psychological phenomenon that has a deeper connection to our evolution and survival. 

Ever caught yourself pinching a baby’s cheeks, hugging a puppy too tightly, or clenching your fists at the sight of a tiny kitten? These instinctive reactions are all tied to a curious phenomenon known as “adorable aggression.” But there’s more to it than just being overwhelmed by cuteness. This psychological quirk plays a fascinating role in our evolution and survival. The term “adorable aggression” (or “cute aggression”) was coined by social psychologist Oriana Aragón and her team in a 2015 study published in ‘Psychological Science.’ It turns out that the desire to squeeze, pinch, or even bite something unbearably cute isn’t random—it’s a complex emotional response with a scientific explanation that’s as intriguing as it is surprising.

Facial expressions and gestures ambivalent with adorable or cute stimuli

The study aimed to get to the bottom of why some people respond to overtly positive stimuli with ambivalent facial expressions or gestures including tears or smiles, caressing or pinching. They documented behaviours of those exposed to cute or adorable stimuli, noting that there was an innate desire to respond with ‘superficial’ aggression, without any real desire to harm the object of their emotions.

Morten L. Kringelbach, an Oxford University professor, challenges the common perception of “adorability” as something solely visual. According to Kringelbach, adorability is a complex, multi-sensory phenomenon that goes beyond just how something looks. It involves all our senses, including touch, sound, and even scent, which together create a powerful response in the brain. This heightened response is not only about attraction but also has a deeper biological purpose: it encourages compassion. By triggering feelings of empathy and care, adorability ultimately serves the evolutionary goal of fostering connections and cooperation within our species, promoting social bonding and nurturing behaviours essential for human survival.

Animals or toys mimicking baby features lead to ‘superficial aggression’

It all starts with how we perceive human babies. The human brain perceives certain baby features and this triggers an automatic emotional response. These traits include large eyes and head, short and stubby limbs amongst other features.  Whatever shares these traits including kittens and dog breeds or cuddly toys which mimic these features produces the same reaction. Not only does seeing cuteness in an animal or stuffed toy for example produce an emotional reaction, but it also releases complex behaviours including care, emotional bonding, compassion and protection.

Meanwhile, the body is busy producing hormones and releasing chemical messages including oxytocin, commonly known as the ‘love hormone,’ associated with physical contact or vasopressin, which is associated with defensive and protective, sometimes aggressive, behaviours.

Due to this mental overload upon seeing animals, babies or cute objects, Stavropoulos defends that we enact superficial aggression as a way to counteract these emotional responses to regain control of our emotions, action and attention span. Obviously, we do not wish to harm anything. Pinching a baby’s chubby cheeks does not come with any malicious intent. Yet the complex process going on in our brain needs an outlet and way of managing this overdrive of emotion taking place in order to guarantee survival and sanity.

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