婴儿图式及其加工的性别差异

Baby Schema and Sex Differences in Its Process

婴儿图式(baby schema,or Kindchenschema)是指人们对一系列婴儿特征的一种心理表征,这些特征包括婴儿所特有的高额头、大眼睛和圆脸蛋等知觉特征。婴儿图式可以诱发人们的积极情绪,并引起关爱、照顾婴儿的行为,从而满足个体生存以及繁衍的需要。对婴儿面孔的加工存在性别差异,女性对婴儿特征比男性更敏感,原因可能有四种:大脑结构的不同、女性独有的情绪反应、女性生殖激素的影响和早期环境的影响。未来的研究可以进一步揭示婴儿图式的特异性神经机制,并从性别差异入手,进一步探讨母爱与婴儿图式的相互作用。

Baby schema（or Kindchenschema）,referring to a kind of people＇s mental representation about a set of infant-like physical features,such as large head,big eyes and round face,can induce a positive emotion and care-giving behaviors towards the infant.Such a function plays an important role in improving the survival of individuals and satisfying the need to reproduce.There exist sex differences in people＇s reaction to infant faces,of which females are more sensitive to baby schema than males.The reasons may be attributed to their different brain structures,female-specific emotive responses,female reproductive hormones,and the early environment.Future studies should go further in disclosing the special neural mechanisms of baby schema,and explore the relationship between maternal love and baby schema on the basis of the sex differences.