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Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the Cute and Related Concepts in Japan, the United States, and Israel

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  • Hiroshi Nittono
  • Shiri Lieber-Milo
  • Joshua P. Dale

Abstract

An online survey was conducted to clarify the connotative meanings of the cute and the attitudes toward cuteness in three countries: Japan ( n = 1,000), the United States ( n = 718), and Israel ( n = 437). The results show a remarkable resemblance in respondents’ conceptions of the cute ( kawaii in Japanese and hamud in Hebrew) across countries. Except for slight cultural differences, the following common tendencies were found: (a) Cuteness is highly appreciated and believed to induce positive affective responses, (b) women tend to find things cute more frequently and strongly than men do, (c) animal babies are thought to be cuter than human babies, and (d) infants are found to be cuter when people get older, while older people generally show less positive attitudes toward cuteness. This study provides some evidence that the concept of cuteness and the feelings connected to its perception are universal.

Suggested Citation

  • Hiroshi Nittono & Shiri Lieber-Milo & Joshua P. Dale, 2021. "Cross-Cultural Comparisons of the Cute and Related Concepts in Japan, the United States, and Israel," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440209, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:11:y:2021:i:1:p:2158244020988730
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244020988730
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shiri Lieber-Milo & Hiroshi Nittono, 2019. "How the Japanese Term Kawaii Is Perceived Outside of Japan: A Study in Israel," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(3), pages 21582440198, August.
    2. Winfried Menninghaus & Valentin Wagner & Vanessa Kegel & Christine A Knoop & Wolff Schlotz, 2019. "Beauty, elegance, grace, and sexiness compared," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(6), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Hiroshi Nittono & Namiha Ihara, 2017. "Psychophysiological Responses to Kawaii Pictures With or Without Baby Schema," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(2), pages 21582440177, May.
    4. Gergana Y. Nenkov & Maura L. Scott, 2014. ""So Cute I Could Eat It Up": Priming Effects of Cute Products on Indulgent Consumption," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(2), pages 326-341.
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    Cited by:

    1. Diana Khan & Akimasa Fujiwara & Yoram Shiftan & Makoto Chikaraishi & Einat Tenenboim & Thi Anh Hong Nguyen, 2022. "Risk Perceptions and Public Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles: A Comparative Study in Japan and Israel," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Hiroshi Nittono & Hatsune Saito & Namiha Ihara & Dante Nicolas Fenocchio & Jorge Mario Andreau, 2023. "English and Spanish Adjectives That Describe the Japanese Concept of Kawaii," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(1), pages 21582440231, February.

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