A study from Hiroshima University has found that viewing pictures of baby animals throughout the day increases efficiency, productivity, and accuracy while at work.
Hiroshi Nittono asked 48 female and male students to answer questions before and after viewing a particular set of pictures. They either viewed baby animals, adult animals, or delicious food. The group that viewed baby animals before answering the questions did much better. They were able to focus more clearly and felt happier and more at ease.
According to the study:
This is interpreted as the result of a narrowed attentional focus induced by the cuteness-triggered positive emotion that is associated with approach motivation and the tendency toward systematic processing. For future applications, cute objects may be used as an emotion elicitor to induce careful behavioral tendencies in specific situations, such as driving and office work.
Next time you plan on going for a drive around the block, do us all a favor and look at a baby penguin first, will ya!?
Sources:
Wondergressive 