Bebês: O irresistível poder da graciosidade. Um estudo sobre o significado evolutivo dos traços infantis

Abstract

Babies generally elicit tenderness and caretaking behaviors on people. The aim of this study is to discuss the attraction towards babyish features, taking Tinbergen's four questions as a theoretical benchmark. Concerning the mechanisms implicated in this neonatal attraction, we evaluated the importance of children's morphology on eliciting parental responses. Considering the adaptive function of this characteristic, we discuss the evolutionary process that shaped the preferences towards infantile traits as well as the phylogeny of the preference towards infant' morphological traits. It was also presented data about the development of this behavioral trait across life span. The information provided here suggests a reason why we find babies such irresistible creatures.