---
title: When a Cat Video Elicits More Than Warm Fuzzies
date: 2023-05-10T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/when-a-cat-video-elicits-more-than-warm-fuzzies"
section: Articles
---
# When a Cat Video Elicits More Than Warm Fuzzies

*May 10, 2023* — by [Maggie Haslam](/author/maggie-haslam)


> Researchers Look at Human Responses to ‘Cuteness’ in Social Media

*Babygoatsweater sunflowerfarms 1920x1080 — New UMD research is examining what characteristics amp up the cute-factor in a social media post (including goats in clothing, squirrels clutching teddy bears and cats posing with Ukrainian Soldiers), and how that might influence human emotions and behavior.*

Could a kitten in your Instagram feed sway your cereal choice? If the cat has saucer-sized eyes, wears a tiny tuxedo and teeters on a wobbling box of day-glo frosted carbs, you might be more apt to add it to your shopping list, according to University of Maryland researchers.

Their ongoing “cuteness” study aims to better understand why a social media post makes us go “awwww,” and how that influences what we buy, “like” or even believe. It’s part of UMD’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security’s ([ARLIS](https://www.arlis.umd.edu/)) [Emotions in Social Media Project](https://emotionsinsocialmedia.umd.edu/), a multidisciplinary research effort to examine how different emotions influence the spread of information campaigns. The project received funding from the U.S. Department of Defense [Minerva Research Initiative](https://minerva.defense.gov/) and the Office of Naval Research.

“It’s fun, but it’s not frivolous,” said Susannah Paletz, associate professor in the College of Information Studies and principal investigator. “As enjoyable as it is to discover in your Twitter feed, we know cuteness is also used to deliberately manipulate your feelings. And it works.”


*kitten on a soldier's shoulder*


*squirrel with mini teddy bear*




**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Social Media](https://today.umd.edu/topic/social-media), [Research](https://today.umd.edu/topic/research)


**Units:** [College of Information](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-information-studies)