Student Article

Why does your brain melt when you see a puppy — sometimes even more than when you see a baby?

Your brain reacts to cuteness

It turns out that your brain is designed to notice and react to cuteness. When you look at a baby, certain parts of your brain activate immediately — especially areas involved in emotions and attention. This quick response helps humans care for their young, who are born needing lots of help.

Brain scans show why we find babies cute

Scientists like Professor Morten Kringelbach have used brain scans to study this. They found that looking at a baby activates both the fusiform face area (which helps us recognize faces) and the orbitofrontal cortex (which processes emotions). This happens in just a fraction of a second — even before you're fully aware of it.

Why puppies are sometimes cuter than babies

But why do we often find puppies and kittens even cuter than babies? One reason is that animals like dogs and cats have been bred to look more like babies, with big eyes, round faces, and soft features. These trigger the same “cute response” in your brain.

It's not just about what you see

It’s not just about sight, either. Baby sounds, like laughing, and even smells can make your brain’s reward center light up. And it’s not only women — men respond too, even if they don’t say so.

Cuteness in pop culture

Cuteness also shapes our favorite characters. Over time, Mickey Mouse and teddy bears have been redesigned to appear more baby-like. And in pop culture, “kawaii” (a Japanese word meaning cute) has influenced characters like Baby Yoda, who have oversized eyes and heads to boost their adorable factor.

So next time you can't stop watching a puppy video, know this: your brain was built for it.

© Thomas Ling / Our Media