Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection

Hahn, A. C. , DeBruine, L. M. and Jones, B. C. (2015) Reported maternal tendencies predict the reward value of infant facial cuteness, but not cuteness detection. Biology Letters, 11(3), 20140978. (doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0978) (PMID:25740842)

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Abstract

The factors that contribute to individual differences in the reward value of cute infant facial characteristics are poorly understood. Here we show that the effect of cuteness on a behavioral measure of the reward value of infant faces is greater among women reporting strong maternal tendencies. By contrast, maternal tendencies did not predict women’s subjective ratings of the cuteness of these infant faces. These results show, for the first time, that the reward value of infant facial cuteness is greater among women who report being more interested in interacting with infants, implicating maternal tendencies in individual differences in the reward value of infant cuteness. Moreover, our results indicate that the relationship between maternal tendencies and the reward value of infant facial cuteness is not due to individual differences in women’s ability to detect infant cuteness. This latter result suggests that individual differences in the reward value of infant cuteness are not simply a byproduct of low cost, functionless biases in the visual system.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Hahn, Dr Amanda and DeBruine, Professor Lisa and Jones, Professor Benedict
Authors: Hahn, A. C., DeBruine, L. M., and Jones, B. C.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
Journal Name:Biology Letters
Publisher:The Royal Society
ISSN:1744-9561
ISSN (Online):1744-9561
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society
First Published:First published in Biology Letters 11(3):20140978
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
604381OCMATE�\200\224 Do oral contraceptives alter women�\200\231s mate preferences?Benedict JonesEuropean Research Council (ERC)OCMATE FP7ERC28RI NEUROSCIENCE & PSYCHOLOGY