Why do you want to squeeze cute things? - Joshua Paul Dale

翻译人员: Jacky He 校对人员: JENNY SUN

Watching a kitten fumbling around,

看到一只小猫在蹒跚爬行，

it might feel as if you’ve never encountered anything

你可能会觉得在你的一生中从未遇到过

so devastatingly adorable in your mortal life.

如此可爱的东西。

You may want to pet its soft fur and kiss its tiny head.

您可能想抚摸它柔软的皮毛 并亲吻它的小脑袋。

But you may also feel the conflicting urge to squeeze

但你也可能感到有一种 矛盾的冲动，想揉捏

or smush the kitten,

或压扁小猫，

maybe even stuff it in your mouth.

甚至把它塞进你的嘴里。

However, you don’t.

但是，你没有。

And you might be appalled by yourself.

你可能会对自己感到震惊。

But this urge, which psychologists call “cute aggression,”

但这种被心理学家称为“可爱攻击”的冲动

is a surprisingly common one estimated to affect about half of all adults.

是一种非常普遍的冲动，估计 影响了大约一半的成年人。

To better understand this peculiar phenomenon,

为了更好地理解这种奇怪现象，

let's start with what cuteness is.

我们先从什么是可爱说起。

In 1943, one scientist created a baby schema

在 1943 年，一位科学家 创建了一张婴儿图式，

that identified key features associated with cuteness,

它标出了与可爱相联的关键特征，

like plump cheeks, large eyes, and short limbs.

如圆润脸颊，大眼睛和短小的四肢。

These characteristics, associated with many young animals,

这些与许多幼小动物相关的特征，

were placed in opposition with those perceived as less cute.

与那些被认为不那么可爱的动物相对立。

Decades of study have since indicated that this baby schema reliably tracks

此后数十年的研究表明， 这种婴儿图式确实主导了

with how people perceive cuteness.

人们如何看待可爱。

When study participants see images containing more features

当实验参与者看到图片包含更多

that the baby schema pinpoints as cute,

婴儿图式定义为可爱的特征时

they tend to look at them longer and more often.

他们往往会更长时间、 更频繁地看这些图片。

And the photos appear to stimulate brain regions

这些照片似乎可以刺激大脑中

associated with emotion and reward.

与情绪和奖赏相关的区域。

Cuteness is also thought to influence behavior.

可爱也被认为会影响行为。

In a 2009 study, participants performed better at the game Operation—

在一项 2009 年的研究中， 参与者事先看到可爱的图片后

which demands precise, careful movements— when shown cute images beforehand.

在要求精准、细心的操作的 游戏中表现更好。

The results of another study indicated that people use recycling bins more

另一项研究的结果表明， 人们会更多地使用回收箱，

当回收箱上有可爱的图像时。

when they have cute images on them.

And the fact that cuteness hijacks our emotions

可爱控制了我们的情感，

is certainly not lost on authorities and advertisers.

这一事实当然不会被当局 和广告商所忽视。

But why does cuteness have this hold on us?

但为什么可爱对我们有这种影响呢？

It's nearly impossible to know for sure,

这几乎是不可能确定的，

but one theory is that cute things simply make us want to nurture them.

但有一种理论认为，可爱的东西 只会让我们想养育它们。

Because human babies are relatively helpless on their own,

因为人类的婴儿本身是相对无助的，

it’s hypothesized that evolution favored infants who were perceived as cute

所以有人假设，进化有利于 那些被认为是可爱的婴儿，

and inspired more care and interaction.

并激发更多的关怀和互动。

And, being acutely sensitive to cuteness,

而且，由于对可爱十分敏感，

we're tuned into similar features in other species.

我们对其他物种的类似特征也很敏感。

In fact, as we domesticated animals, their appearances tended to change too.

事实上，随着我们对动物的驯化， 它们的外表也趋于改变。

Some scientists have noted a phenomenon called “domestication syndrome,”

一些科学家注意到一种 被称为“驯化综合症”的现象，

where certain animals appear to have gradually adopted more juvenile features

即某些动物似乎随着它们变得更加驯服

as they became more docile.

而逐渐具有更多幼年的特征。

One theory is that these physical changes are regulated

一种理论认为，这些身体变化

by an embryonic structure called the neural crest.

是由被称为神经嵴的胚胎结构调节的。

It helps determine how some of a developing embryo’s cells

它有助于决定一些发育中的胚胎细胞

differentiate and where they go.

如何分化以及它们的去向。

Delaying or inhibiting the arrival of these cells in certain areas of the body

延迟或抑制这些细胞到达身体的某些区域

can result in an underdevelopment of the pituitary and adrenal glands,

会导致脑垂体和肾上腺发育不全，

which govern fear and aggression.

这些腺体控制着恐惧和攻击性。

It can also lead to physical characteristics

它还会导致身体特征，

like floppier ears, shorter snouts, and smaller jaws.

如耳朵松软、鼻子较短和下巴较小。

This is one idea of how selecting for behavioral characteristics

这是一个关于如何选择 行为特征，如友善，

like friendliness, may also select for more juvenile, cuter physical traits.

也可能选择更年轻、更可爱的 身体特征的观点。

Basically, as humans bred and domesticated docile dogs,

基本上，随着人类培育和驯养温顺的狗，

we seem to have made some breeds look more like babies.

我们似乎使一些品种的狗 看起来更像婴儿。

Some scientists theorize that we may have even domesticated ourselves.

一些科学家推测，我们甚至 可能已经驯化了自己。

The thinking here is that as ancient humans

这里的见解是，随着古人类

formed larger, more cooperative groups,

形成更大、更合作的群体，

they selected for friendlier individuals.

他们会选择更友好的个体。

This may have then led to some of the physical characteristics

这可能导致了一些将我们

that distinguish us from our closest evolutionary cousins,

与我们最亲近的进化表亲 区分开来的身体特征，

like smaller, rounder skulls and subtler brow ridges.

如更小、更圆的头骨和更细的眉脊。

But if cuteness is related to nurturing and decreased aggression,

但如果可爱与培养和减少攻击性有关，

why would anyone ever want to squeeze or bite cute things?

为什么会有人想要揉捏 和咬可爱的东西？

Well, cute aggression is importantly not linked

其实，重要的是可爱的攻击性

to the actual intention to do harm.

与实际的伤害意图无关。

Instead, it seems to result from emotional overload.

相反，它似乎是情绪过载的结果。

Some scientists think that cute things elicit such positive emotions

一些科学家认为，可爱的东西 引起某些人的积极情绪，

from certain people that the experience becomes overwhelming.

以至于这种体验变得难以抗拒。

They hypothesize that slightly aggressive, discordant thoughts

他们假设略带攻击性、不和谐的想法

are the brain’s way of putting the brakes on and regulating those intense feelings—

是大脑抑制和调节 这些强烈情绪的方式——

not getting you to actually eat a kitten.

而不是让你真的去吃掉一只小猫。

Cuteness can come off as a frivolous, innocent quality,

可爱可能给人一种 无关紧要、天真的感觉，

but it wields immense, consequential power.

但它拥有巨大的、作为结果的力量。

Not to be aggressive, but cuteness kind of runs the world.

可爱不是咄咄逼人，而是那种操纵世界的力量。