Looking at Baby Animal Photos Increases Productivity
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Caring for babies (nurturance) not only involves tender treatments but also requires careful attention to the targets’ physical and mental states as well as vigilance against possible threats to the targets. If viewing cute things makes the viewer more attentive, the performance of a non-motor perceptual task would also be improved.
When economists talk about boosting productivity, they usually talk about increasing the adoption of new technologies and optimizing workflows. Japanese researchers, however, have come up with a very offbeat approach: Showing workers lots of pictures of adorable, fuzzy, baby animals.
A team of researchers at Hiroshima University recently conducted a study where they showed university students pictures of baby animals before completing various tasks. What they found, in research published today, was that those who saw the baby animal pictures did more productive work after seeing those photographs – even more than those who saw a picture of an adult animal or a pleasant food.
Researchers at Hiroshima University recruited 48 college students to play a game similar to Operation. They tested them after seeing puppy and kitten photos, adult animal photos and tasty food photos. Then they played the game. The results were the same across genders.
The researchers wrote:
Caring for babies (nurturance) not only involves tender treatments but also requires careful attention to the targets’ physical and mental states as well as vigilance against possible threats to the targets. If viewing cute things makes the viewer more attentive, the performance of a non-motor perceptual task would also be improved.
Read a Washington Post blog, which broke the story, here. Buzzfeed rounded up 38 productivity-enhancing photos
1. We'll start off slowly with this picture of a cat sticking his head out of a pair of jeans.
10. Aww, these baby hedgehogs think this brush is their mom, and you are becoming more productive. Science is the best.
Via: eliot
14. 14 pictures down! You're feeling more focused. Time for another round of pictures starting with baby bulldogs.
Via: elisudj
24. Wow! Look how productive this mom golden retriever is! If she can walk 5 babies on her own, you can do anything!!
Via: rachguzman
Now go do that one thing you needed to do! Your productivity has increased!
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