Season 3 of “The Mandalorian” has ended, but love for Grogu or Baby Yoda, as it is popularly known, has not. On the contrary, the season has increased the affection for the little green being with pointy ears who took on a more active role and with it added points to his charm. These are the three strategic reasons why he is so popular:
protective instincts
Grogu, as a small entity of the same species as Yoda, arouses by his size, dynamics and attitude, protective instincts. When you see it, you can’t help but see how “cute” it is and want to take care of it, carry it and so on, as happens with any baby. It’s an instinct.
In a 2009 study, Melanie Glocker documented through interviews and brain scans how photos of young children activate the “nucleus accumbens,” a region linked to the anticipation of recognition or reward. Said system is part of a neural circuit that controls what scientists call an “innate release mechanism” and that is associated with the reward and automatic satisfaction of caring for and caring for a being that is perceived as defenseless, in addition to contributing to the spice persistence. Yes, Baby Yoda may not be human, but the instinct exists and that explains, to a large extent, why the stuffed animal, for example, is so popular.
The Kindchen Scheme
Known as kindchenschema, German for “infant shape” has documented that there are certain features (round eyes, a small chin, a head relatively larger than the rest of the body) that immediately refer us unconsciously to a baby. The concept exists since 1943 when the zoologist Konrad Lorenz who showed how it exists in all species. The model has been replicated and used in many great characters that arouse feelings similar to the offspring or babies of a species. For example, there are Hello Kitty, Pikachu and, in a certain way, even the minions. Baby Yoda undoubtedly complies with the elements, to which are added the character’s reactions and movements, also being small and perceived as spontaneous.
Passive-aggressive instincts
The typical reaction to seeing something cute is to say or at least feel that “awww”. For some people this can come from an attack instinct (from biting to hugging tightly that results in “it’s so cute I want to bite it”). Sure, it’s somewhat metaphorical and playful, but that desire to “hurt” something you feel tender about is actually known as “cute aggression.”