Have you ever been overcome with the urge to squeeze something cute, even if you mean no harm? The phenomenon is called cute aggression and it is more common than you think.
Around 50% to 60% of people experience cute aggression: the urge to squeeze, pinch, crush or even bite, an object they find cute. Yale scientists first classifiedthis strange sensation in 2015.
Cute aggression is what researchers call a dimorphous expression, or “two contrasting physical displays that manifest from a single, intense emotional experience,” according to Colleen Blaine and Tessa Schwarze at Clemson University.
This psychological effect can manifest when experiencing an extreme emotion, such as crying after winning an award or laughing when frightened.
Cute aggression occurs in those who experience dimorphic expression. The extremely positive experience of witnessing a cute creature generates positive and negative emotions.
The quality of “being cute” is characterized by numerous physical factors, including big eyes and rounded cheeks. Some things tend to be non-threatening, such as babies.
Moo Deng, a two-month-old pygmy hippo from Thailand, has taken over the internet for her inherent cuteness. Her name translates to “bouncy pork” in Thai and her “energetic and chaotic personality” has pulled on heartstrings worldwide.
Her adorableness factor is magnetic, bringing in thousands of visitors to Khao Kheow Open Zoo and millions of interactions on social media. A 24-hour livestream was set up to watch her silly behavior at all hours of the day.
Her fame also comes with drawbacks, and cute aggression may be the cause.
Visitors have taken to throwing objects at the sleeping pygmy hippo, attempting to wake her from her tiny slumber. It became so bad that the zoo put up warning signs in English, Thai and Chinese to prevent the behavior.
Fortunately, the signs worked for now, and the baby hippo can peacefully nap. However, cute aggression for the internet sensation is not slowing down.
“She's such a little lump. I want to ball her up and swallow her whole," one Moo Deng visitor told CBS News.
Despite the negatives, the strong emotional response to the cuteness of Moo Deng and other animals can have many positives, including bringing awareness to the issues these adorable animals face. The Khao Kheow Open Zoo has plans to trademark “Moo Deng the hippo,” to bring in money to support the zoo and its animals.
Pygmy hippos are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with less than 2,500 remaining in the wild. As of 2015, their population rapidly decreased and a subspecies is believed to be extinct in Nigeria.
Pygmy hippo populations primarily face threats caused by human activity living in the Upper Guinea forest in West Africa, including logging, mining and hunting. Conservation initiatives, such as ZSL, are working to preserve the species and their habitats.
Moo Deng’s rise to stardom, and the resulting power of cute aggression, brings attention to the threats this adorable species faces in the wild and continues helping preserve the livelihood of pygmy hippos worldwide.
