Research has long shown that people are predisposed to respond to
"cute" baby-like features–a large head, a high
protruding forehead, and large eyes—known as the
“baby schema”. Baby animals also have baby schema
characteristics, which helps explain why we think puppies and kittens
are cuter than dogs and cats.
The baby schema can activate a number of innate processes in people,
including smiling and positive affect and other nurturing behavior, but
research suggests that cute images may also have an impact on
attention and perception.