How and when cuteness responsiveness implicates meaning in life among Chinese college students: a moderated mediation model

Notably, the cuteness subculture has recently attracted significant attention in China. Cuteness responsiveness refers to the degree of unique perception that individuals respond to cute objects with infantile features. In Study 1, 900 Chinese college students were recruited (subsamp1: N = 400; subsamp2: N = 500) to complete CR-15. Results showed that the Chinese version of CR-15 has good psychometric properties and fits into the three-factor structure. Study 2 recruited 926 Chinese undergraduate students to measure cuteness responsiveness, meaning in life, altruistic behaviors, happiness, and cyberbullying. Results show that cuteness responsiveness (i.e., baby human, baby animal, and animate object) can positively predict meaning in life. Moreover, gender moderates the effect of cuteness responsiveness on meaning in life. In detail, compared with males, the relationship between cuteness responsiveness, and meaning in life is stronger in females. This study contributes to our understanding of cuteness responsiveness and how it benefits individuals’ psychological health and prosocial behaviors.