This study illuminates how Israelis define and treat the Japanese term kawaii

Cuteness elicits a wide range of emotional responses, including caregiving, playfulness, and even a desire to consume the cute entity. In this study, we explored four reactions to cuteness: caretaking, socializing, whimsical cuteness, and cute aggression. 105 female and male participants viewed images of young animals and babies (cute) and mature animals and adults (less cute) and reported their emotional responses. Results showed that cute images received higher ratings, evoking stronger emotions and a strong desire for caretaking, socializing, embracing, and playful interactions in both genders. Moreover, our research highlights the predominant emotional response of caretaking and protection elicited by cute entities, which superseded other emotional reactions in terms of intensity. This emotion was shared by both male and female participants, with women exhibiting a slightly higher level of caregiving response compared to men. This study enhances our understanding of emotional responses to cuteness and provides a valuable quantitative perspective and methodological framework for future studies.

An online survey was conducted to clarify the semantic image of the cute and attitudes toward cuteness in three countries: Japan, the United States, and Israel (total N = 2,155). The results show a remarkable resemblance in respondents’ conceptions of the cute (kawaii in Japanese and hamud in Hebrew) across countries. Several common tendencies were found: (1) Cuteness is highly appreciated and believed to induce positive affective responses, (2) women tend to find things cute more frequently and strongly than men do, (3) animal babies are thought to be cuter than human babies, and (4) infants are found to be cuter when people get older, while older people generally show less positive attitudes toward cuteness. This study demonstrates that the concept of cuteness and the feelings connected to its perception are universal.

The cross-sectional study results reveal the importance of kawaii among Japanese women and positive aspects in consuming cute items; for working women, it was found, kawaii products help in dealing with stress and serve as a momentary gateway from the harsh world of everyday life to a romanticized world of one’s childhood and for younger women serve as a fashion statement.