De invloed van babyschema bij kinderen op beloningsprocessen van volwassenen

This study examined whether Lorenz’ (1943) baby schema theory, which suggests that specific ‘cute’ facial features in infants evoke caregiving behavior in adults, also applies to children aged 3 to 7. Responses of 81 non-mothers from the RADAR Young cohort study, aged 22 to 25, were examined. Participants completed two tasks to assess responses to photos of child faces with varying baby schema levels. Behavioral data were analyzed through ‘liking’ (cuteness ratings) and ‘wanting’ (watch time) tasks, while EEG captured neural responses across four key ERP components (P1, N170, P2 and LPP). Cuteness ratings, watch times and ERP amplitudes were compared between three baby schema levels using repeated measures ANOVAs. The results indicated that children with stronger baby schema traits were rated as cuter and motivated adults to spend more time viewing their photos, supporting the hypothesis that more baby schema traits are linked to increased liking and wanting behaviors in adults....Show moreThis study examined whether Lorenz’ (1943) baby schema theory, which suggests that specific ‘cute’ facial features in infants evoke caregiving behavior in adults, also applies to children aged 3 to 7. Responses of 81 non-mothers from the RADAR Young cohort study, aged 22 to 25, were examined. Participants completed two tasks to assess responses to photos of child faces with varying baby schema levels. Behavioral data were analyzed through ‘liking’ (cuteness ratings) and ‘wanting’ (watch time) tasks, while EEG captured neural responses across four key ERP components (P1, N170, P2 and LPP). Cuteness ratings, watch times and ERP amplitudes were compared between three baby schema levels using repeated measures ANOVAs. The results indicated that children with stronger baby schema traits were rated as cuter and motivated adults to spend more time viewing their photos, supporting the hypothesis that more baby schema traits are linked to increased liking and wanting behaviors in adults. While behavioral data confirmed these effects, EEG results showed no significant differences in most neural face processing components (P1, N170, LPP) across the baby schema levels. Higher baby schema faces were however, in comparison to low baby schema faces, linked to stronger neural activation in the P2, which is mainly associated with face typicality and emotional relevance. These findings suggest that baby schema characteristics in young children can still evoke specific caregiving responses, even beyond infancy, and highlight the possible emotional impact of these features on adult perception and behavior.Show less

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De invloed van babyschema bij kinderen op beloningsprocessen van volwassenen