Semiotic modeling of cuteness in cartoon characters/mascots
Date
2021-06-28
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Abstract
Puutume kokku nunnude loomategelastega nii Disney multifilmides, hommikuhelveste pakenditel kui ka tualettpaberil - ja need tegelased ei ole suunatud vaid lastele. Nunnusus, kui esteetiline omadus, võib mõjutada meie otsuseid ja suunata meie tundeid seoses hoolitsemise, huvi ja kiindumusega. Mis see on, mis teeb nunnud tegelased nii armastusväärseks?
Uurimistööd teoreetilises bioloogias ja psühholoogias on leidnud, et peamiselt motiveerib nunnusus meid hoolima imikutest ja koduloomadest ning eelistama kindlaid nägusid ja tooteid. Samad uurimused väidavad, et meie huvi nunnude asjade vastu tuleneb bioloogilisest hoolitsemise vajadusest. Samas, hoolitsemise vajadus ei põhjenda isiklikke ja kultuurilisi eelistusi. Samuti ei põhjenda see, miks me leiame, et multifilmid ja erinevad tooted on nunnud.
Väitekiri uurib, kuidas biosemiootiline lähenemine aitab meil mõista tajutud nunnususe varjatud tunnuseid. Töö uurib aspekte, mis jäävad meie tajude varju ja kuidas nunnusus mõjutab meie suhtlemisviise loomategelaste ja loomadega. Lõpuks pakub väitekiri praktilisi disaini nõuandeid disaineritele ja multifilmideloojatele loomategelaste loomisel.
Uurimustöö tulemustest järeldub, et nunnususe tajumine pole lihtsalt visuaalne, vaid seotud ka meie teiste tajudega. Nunnususe tajumine pole täielikult universaalne nähtus, vaid on mõjutatud kultuurist ja isiklikest eelistustest. Lisaks leiab väitekiri, kuidas nunnude omaduste kasutamine disainis võib teha loomategelased auditooriumile veelgi ahvatlevamaks ja emotsionaalselt mõjusamaks. Nunnud loomategelased võivad mõjutada, kuidas me tajume ja suhestume reaalsete loomadega.
From Disney’s hit films to your cereal and toilet paper, we encounter cute animal characters constantly in our daily life, and they’re not just for children. The presence of cuteness as an aesthetic can effect our decision making and lead to feelings of care-giving, attraction, and affection. But what makes these characters so endearing? Research into theoretical biology and psychology has found cuteness to be a major motivator in our caring of infants, adoption of pets, and preference for faces and products. These studies claim our attraction to cute things stems from a biological care-taking response, but this does not explain personal and cultural preferences and why we find cartoons and products cute. This dissertation explores why we find cartoon characters cute and how biosemiotic research help us understand the factors behind our perceptions of cuteness. This dissertation investigates the features that underlie our perceptions, explores how cuteness affects our interactions with both animal characters and biological animals, and offers practical design advice to designers and animators in the creation of animal characters. The results of the research conclude that the perception of cuteness is not just visual but linked with our other senses and that it is not entirely universal but is influenced by culture and personal factors. Additionally, this research identifies how the usage of cute features design and human-like expressions can make animal characters more appealing and emotionally affective for audiences and that these characters can impact how we perceive and interact with real-world animals. As a whole this dissertation advances the field of cuteness studies and offers a practical domain for the application of semiotics.
From Disney’s hit films to your cereal and toilet paper, we encounter cute animal characters constantly in our daily life, and they’re not just for children. The presence of cuteness as an aesthetic can effect our decision making and lead to feelings of care-giving, attraction, and affection. But what makes these characters so endearing? Research into theoretical biology and psychology has found cuteness to be a major motivator in our caring of infants, adoption of pets, and preference for faces and products. These studies claim our attraction to cute things stems from a biological care-taking response, but this does not explain personal and cultural preferences and why we find cartoons and products cute. This dissertation explores why we find cartoon characters cute and how biosemiotic research help us understand the factors behind our perceptions of cuteness. This dissertation investigates the features that underlie our perceptions, explores how cuteness affects our interactions with both animal characters and biological animals, and offers practical design advice to designers and animators in the creation of animal characters. The results of the research conclude that the perception of cuteness is not just visual but linked with our other senses and that it is not entirely universal but is influenced by culture and personal factors. Additionally, this research identifies how the usage of cute features design and human-like expressions can make animal characters more appealing and emotionally affective for audiences and that these characters can impact how we perceive and interact with real-world animals. As a whole this dissertation advances the field of cuteness studies and offers a practical domain for the application of semiotics.
Description
Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone
Keywords
literary characters, cartoons, animals, interdisciplinary research, biosemiotics, semiotics