What makes an animal adorable/cute?
What makes an animal adorable/cute?
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30 min
30 min
During the warm-up session, students have seen several pictures of animals, and may have found the animals “cute”. So why do we find some animals “cute” or “adorable”, and are there specific characteristics to “cuteness”?
Why do we feel the need to care for things that are cute, like puppies and kittens? Austrian biologist Konrad Lorenz came up with his "kindchenschema" or babyschema, which is a list of physical characteristics that define what we consider as "cute". He observed that cute animals share these same characteristics with babies, which activate human's nurturing and protective instincts.
After students discovered the kindchenschema, they are encouraged to think about the use of this principle in advertising and by organisations who supports or opposes animal testing. By sharing their opinion with their peers, they will discover other points of view about this topic. This will lead to the discussion phase and creates awareness about differences in opinion.
Instruction:
Find 2 examples of the use of the Kindchenschema principle (babyschema) in different media.
Describe the characteristics defining cuteness in your example.
Present your findings to your peers via this padlet.
How do you feel about companies using this kindchenschema in their advertising?
How do you feel about organisations that support or oppose animal testing using this principle?
Compare your opinion to your peers' opinion.
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