Talk Psych to Me
Let's get psychology out of the lab and into the streets. Join hosts Tania Luna (psychology researcher) and Brian Luna (total layperson) as they turn fascinating research into practical tips for getting better at being human.
Talk Psych to Me
Cuteness Psychology: Of cute mice and ugly babies
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Brian Luna and Tania Luna
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Season 1
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Episode 1
Tania explains the psychology of cuteness, cute aggression, happy tears, and dimorphous expressions. Brian tries to understand how being ugly as a baby might have impacted his life. Together, they explore how cuteness is saving the world.
Talk psych to us:
Instagram: @talkpsychtomepodcast
Email: tp2mpodcast@gmail.com
Further Reading:
- Sherman, Haidt, & James Coan, 2009: Viewing Cute Images Increases Behavioral Carefulness
- Aragón, 2015: "I Couldn’t Help But to Cry!” “I Couldn’t Help But to Yell “Yes!”” Dimorphous Expressions Inform Consumers of Users’ Motivational Orientations
- Aragón, Clark, Dyer, & Bargh, 2015: Dimorphous Expressions of Positive Emotion: Displays of Both Care and Aggression in Response to Cute Stimuli
- Fredrickson & Levenson, 1998: Positive Emotions Speed Recovery from Cardiovascular Sequelae of Negative Emotion.
- Kringelbach, Stark, Alexander, Bornstein, & Stein, 2016: On Cuteness: Unlocking the Parental Brain and Beyond
- Stavropoulos & Alba, 2018: “It’s so Cute I Could Crush It!”: Understanding Neural Mechanisms of Cute Aggression
- Budds, 2019: “Why Cute Design is Aww-some”
- Neotenic design: https://a-d-o.com/neotenic
Produced by Scarlet Moon Things
Music by Barrie Gledden, Kes Loy, and Richard Kimmings
Special thanks to Kim Keating, Max Cohen and Vicky Kuperman for research and ideation support.