Why Do We Feel the Urge to Squeeze Adorable Things?

Imagine a puppy: floppy ears, soft fur, large eyes, and a tiny, adorable nose that you could just … boop. If you suddenly felt the impulse to squish the little creature, or noticed yourself clenching your fists and jaw at the thought, it's highly likely you're experiencing what scientists refer to as cute aggression.

You're not alone—research indicates that 50 to 60 percent of individuals feel compelled to squeeze, bite, or crush things they find exceptionally cute. The Tagalog language even has a word for it: gigil. Although cute aggression may be universal, it wasn’t formally identified by Western science until 2012.

In 2014, Yale doctoral candidates Rebecca Dyer and Oriana Aragón conducted the first scientific study on the phenomenon [PDF]. They provided 109 participants with bubble wrap and showed them images of various animals categorized as neutral, funny, or cute, then recorded their reactions. They found that viewing extremely cute pets led to an increase in brain activity, though only some participants proceeded to aggressively pop the bubble wrap.

Dyer and Aragón identified this reaction as a type of dimorphous expression, a term they created to describe the apparent contradiction some people display between the emotions they feel and the physical reactions they exhibit.

Cute aggression isn’t the only form of dimorphous expression. Many of us cry during moments of extreme happiness, grimace in pain when indulging in something wonderfully sweet, scream with excitement when reuniting with someone we've missed, or laugh uncontrollably when experiencing anger or frustration. All of these puzzling responses are variations of dimorphous expression.

Katherine Stavropoulos, an experimental psychologist at the University of California, Riverside, explains that aggression involves both the brain's emotional and reward systems, the latter responsible for triggering pleasure when activated by something enjoyable. In a follow-up study to Dyer’s and Aragón’s work on cute aggression, she recorded the brain activity of participants shown images of irresistibly cute animals and babies. Some images were altered to be more aligned with the Kinderschema, or baby schema, which refers to the specific features that make babies and animals (or even objects) appear “cute.” She found that cute aggression was linked to a spike in the brain's reward system, suggesting that the body may be attempting to balance intense emotions.

“It seems that individuals who experience cute aggression often feel overwhelmed by the intensity of their emotions towards the adorable object, while those who don’t experience it … simply don’t,” she shares with Mytour. This could imply that cute aggression is an automatic response to emotional overload, a way for the body to regulate these intense feelings. “A behavioral study even suggested that cute aggression helps people calm down and feel less overwhelmed,” Stavropoulos adds.

Although the science behind cute aggression and other forms of dimorphous expression is still evolving, a significant amount of research has been conducted on cuteness. Studies suggest that perceiving a baby or animal as cute does encourage caregiving behavior. However, when overwhelmed by the sheer cuteness of a baby or puppy, our instinct to care for it may be overridden by our own emotions. This is when cute aggression may surface. Stavropoulos believes this isn't an unlikely scenario. “One theory suggests that cute aggression could help us regulate our emotions, allowing us to return to taking care of the adorable creature that may need our attention,” she explains.

Should we be worried about our desire to squish that fluffy little puppy until it begs for mercy? Stavropoulos doesn’t think so. She clarifies that cute aggression and true aggression are entirely different. “When someone experiences cute aggression, they don’t want to harm the baby or animal. In fact, they generally want to protect or care for it,” she states. People tend to experience cute aggression more intensely when they can’t physically interact with the animal or baby causing the reaction, leading them to feel the urge to pet, hold, or cuddle the adorable creature.

Aragón suggests that cute aggression could be a form of communication rather than an act of caregiving. She explains that, despite how confusing dimorphous expressions might seem, humans are remarkably adept at interpreting the true intention behind them. For example, clutching our stomach and grimacing in pain while eating may indicate our intent to keep eating. Similarly, crying from overwhelming happiness might signal to others that we need a moment to process intense emotions. When someone moves to pinch a baby’s cheeks, they’re signaling to the parent that they’re about to interact with their child, Aragón told BrainFacts.org.

No matter the reason, the next time you’re tempted to squeeze that grinning baby hippo on Instagram or snuggle that floppy-eared puppy you meet in the park, you'll understand that it’s your brain recognizing that it's simply too cute to resist.