I should probably be one of the most productive people on Earth, if a study by Japanese researcher Hiroshi Nittono has any truth behind it. Nittono and his team studied how viewing kawaii (cute in Japanese) images impacts behavior, and specifically how they impact performance on tasks requiring focused attention. For anyone interested, you can read more about the study here
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Can Viewing Kawaii Animals Really Increase Focus!?
During the study, university students were asked to preform tasks requiring high levels of concentration. Students were subject to viewing sets of images before completing tasks. While some students were shown images of baby animals (kittens and puppies), others were shown adult animals (dogs and cats), images of food, or neutral objects.
Nittono concluded that viewing cute images (specifically pictures of baby animals) improved task performance. Viewing images deemed to be cute increased performances in fine motor dexterity, non-motor visual search tasks, and focus. So cute images can not only help to improve our mood, but may also positively impact our behavior! So maybe the next time you catch one of your coworkers sneaking a peak at pictures of puppies instead of working, you’ll cut him/her some slack.
“Kawaii things not only make us happier, but also affect our behavior. This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus. This effect is not specific to tasks related to caregiving or social interaction.” (Nittono et al., 2012)
Speaking of Kawaii…
This past Sunday, August 1st, we celebrated Fenrir’s 6th birthday! I really have no idea how my little one is 6 already. How cute is he though? He still looks (or at least I think so), and acts, like a puppy! On Saturday we took the boys hiking. We got thunderstorms and rain on Sunday, but since we had spent most of the day before outdoors, it was nice to have a relaxing day inside. The storm ended up knocking our internet out for most of the day, which I know sounds like a bad thing, but it was actually kind of nice to have a day indoors without the distraction of the internet. The boys got a few special treats, and presents! I say the boys instead of just Fen, because we spoiled sweet Mr.Kitsune too. Birthdays in our house are a family affair – we wouldn’t want anyone to feel left out.
I just wish I had thought to wrap a present or two for Kitsune! Even though he did get new toys and treats, I didn’t wrap his. He reminded me of when I was a kid, when someone would get presents on their birthday and my little sister would get jealous! Kit kept finding pieces of wrapping paper on the floor and trying to ‘unwrap’ them like they were gifts. Next year, on Fen’s birthday, I’ll try to remember to wrap a few things for Kit to open too.
I’m so proud of Fenrir. He’s such a loving, playful, fun little friend. He’s my shadow, my almost constant companion, and his silly, playful antics bring me so much joy. Happy 6th birthday to my little wolf cub – here’s to many, many more!
References:
Hiroshi Nittono, Michiko Fukushima, Akihiro Yano, Akihiro Yano, & Hiroki Moriya. 2012. The Power of Kawaii: Viewing Cute Images Promotes a Careful Behavior and Narrows Attentional Focus
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