Cute aggression

[1] Individuals experiencing cute aggression may find themselves clenching their jaw or fists, with the urge to squish, pinch or bite an adorable baby, animal, or object.

The word geram in Malay is also polysemous, with meanings associated with expressing a love-hate anger toward something cute, evoking urges to squeeze it affectionately, and describes a feeling of dissatisfaction too.

This describes the strong feelings one gets when admiring someone's pleasantly chubby appearance, causing an urge to pinch, squeeze or smother the person in kisses.

[12] The interaction between the neurohormones oxytocin and vasopressin offer proximate explanations for why cute stimuli can elicit contradictory responses of affection and aggression.

[19] Explanation 2 Cute aggression is experienced because portions of the brain corresponding to emotions and rewards are triggered, which can essentially overload an individual’s mental faculties.

[20] Evolution serves as the ultimate explanation for understanding cute aggression, as it suggests that this seemingly paradoxical response may have provided adaptive advantages in human ancestors, aiding in the care and protection of vulnerable offspring.

Infantile traits like big eyes, round faces, and small size evoke perceptions of cuteness, and trigger innate caregiving instincts in humans.

The same adoration that humans are compelled to feel for their young may carry over to other animals with similar physiological traits which require care such as puppies and kittens.

[26] A study conducted in 2015 by Aragon and colleagues sought to explain whether cute aggression as a dimorphous expression serves as a regulatory mechanism during overwhelming emotional experiences.

[27] A more recent study conducted by Stravropoulos and colleagues in 2018, used electroencephalography (EEG) scans to investigate brain activity during cute aggression experiences.

Higher ratings were given after viewing baby animals and the EEG analysis found in the N200 component, emotional responses peaked around 200 ms after stimulus onset.