Science for the Good of Mankind: Watching Animal Videos Could Give Your Brain a Boost
This is the proof you’ve been looking for, folks. A Japanese study into kawaii, or that particular brand of adorableness that only the Japanese can fully articulate, has found that watching cute animal videos or looking at cute animal photos can boost performance on tests of focus and computation. From Megan Garber:
“Kawaii things not only make us happier, but also affect our behavior,” the researchers write in the paper. “This study shows that viewing cute things improves subsequent performance in tasks that require behavioral carefulness, possibly by narrowing the breadth of attentional focus.”
The effect wasn’t matched by pictures of adult animals. It seems like the feelings of warmth and care-taking that are stimulated by just look at those paws have some unintended side effects when it comes to our ability to think and focus.
Thank you, science!
(via The Atlantic, sleepy puppies via itstinyiwantit)
Source: The Atlantic
