Many whale stuffed animal serve as dependable and consoling friends. An excursion to the doctor or a night of darkness might seem a bit less intimidating with the company of a fluffy buddy. Stuffed animals function as transitional items for young kids—inanimate things that offer solace, especially in new or upsetting circumstances Winnicott, 1953. Despite being considered children’s toys, adults can also use stuffed animals as transitional items.
Top Benefits
Help in Creating and Maintaining Sleeping Patterns
Stuffed animals can help kids establish and maintain healthy sleeping patterns. For instance, Golem et al. 2019 utilized discussion groups and questionnaires to gather information from participants in a study of education children and their parents on their beliefs and attitudes regarding sleep. They discovered that stuffed animals were a major subject of conversation among the young participants.
Encourage Young People To Read
Stuffed animals might also motivate kids to read. Okazaki et al. 2017 examined the usage of a stuffed animal overnight program to motivate children to read in another research on preschoolers. To start, they handed kids plush animals that had spent the night at a library.
To persuade the kids that the stuffed animals are magical and alive, they were photographed carrying out various tasks. After that, the stuffed animals left a letter for the kids asking them to read to them.
Utilized For Therapeutic Purposes
Stuffed animals have also been employed in therapeutic activities for elderly individuals. Trzinski and Higgins (2001) created exercises and activities to promote cohesiveness and socializing among residents in a pilot study involving at least two nursing facilities.
These included games, physical activity, and bringing cuddly animals with residents to group meetings as group pals Trzinski & Higgins, 2001.
The Sociocultural Environment In Which Young Adults Behave
The social behavior of young adults has also been researched about stuffed animals. In a series of research involving undergraduates, Tai et al. 2011 allowed participants to hold a teddy bear, read words that made them feel socially alienated and then participate in an exercise where they had to distribute money to others. Participants in the control group completed the same things but did not interact with a teddy bear.
Aid in Guiding Research
Finally, research that helps individuals with a personality disorder may be informed by stuffed animals (BPD). Together with other symptoms and indications, stuffed animals may be used as a marker for BPD in adults. For instance, Hooley and Wilson-Murphy 2012 investigated the association between BPD (as well as related pathologies and concerns) and transition phase objects, including stuffed animals among other objects, in a non – clinical sample of 80 adults. Participants were also asked to complete a series of questionnaires.
Offer Protection and Comfort
They might provide a variety of advantages for both kids and adults. For kids, stuffed animals may offer solace and stability before bed, an opportunity to learn and practice reading skills, and pain relief after surgery.
Adults may utilize them to establish and improve treatment programs for nursing care patients, foster prosocial conduct, and assist researchers in studying and understanding BPD. These studies will need to be improved in the future to expand on their conclusions and limitations.
