Reduced Subjective and Behavioral Responses to Cuteness in Relation to Anhedonia

Le résumé fourni par la source

Abstract Infantile features are perceived as cute and increase motivation for care. Using a novel behavioral task, the present study examined whether trait anhedonia, characterized by reward devaluation and positive affective dysfunction, influences subjective ratings of cuteness and motivation for protecting animals. In an online experiment, participants (N = 329) rated baby and adult animals' cuteness and performed a mouse‐clicking task to measure their motivation to care for the animals. The results indicated that anhedonia was associated with lower cuteness ratings and fewer mouse clicks, suggesting a reduced pleasurable experience of cuteness and motivation to protect the animals. The results were significant after controlling for severity of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the consequences of anhedonia in reducing cuteness‐induced positive emotions and caregiving motivation, and pose implications on reward processing's role in shaping cuteness‐induced affective experiences and behavior.

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