title: Overgeneralizing belonging: limited exposure to baby-faced targets increases the feeling of social belonging.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that exposure to babyish faces can serve a social surrogacy function, such that even limited exposure to babyish faces can fulfill social belongingness needs. We manipulated the sex and facial maturity of a target face seen in an imagined social interaction, on a between-participants basis. Regardless of target sex, individuals indicated greater satisfaction of social belongingness needs following an imagined interaction with a babyish face, compared to a mature adult face. These results indicate that brief exposure to babyish (relative to mature) faces, even without an extensive interaction, can lead to the satisfaction of social belongingness needs.
authors.forename: Donald F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: John Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hugenberg
authors.forename: James H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wirth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012737:Sex Factors; D012933:Social Identification; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult