![]() The robotic seal also helped reduce neutral affect-a lack of facial expressions that can be common among patients with dementia-and made them less agitated. People who interacted with PARO were more verbally and visually engaged and reported experiencing more pleasure than people with dementia who received their usual care. Now in its eighth iteration, the cute stuffed seal-which weighs six pounds and moves, makes noises, and responds to human interaction just like a real animal would-has been found to also improve things like motivation, socialization, and relaxation in this population.Ī study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association in 2017 looked at the use of the PARO seal in more than 400 patients with dementia at long-term care facilities in Queensland, Australia. The PARO robotic seal, for example, was introduced in 2003 to reduce stress, isolation, and loneliness in elderly people with dementia. Some comfort objects-like the breathing cushion and weighted blankets-were designed specifically to help with stress and anxiety, while others were created to address other mental-health and movement concerns. But because many people have been deprived of it during the pandemic, she points out, “we are sort of rediscovering how valuable it is.” Lywood-who is currently working on commercializing the breathing cushion through her company Sooothe-believes the findings highlight our innate need for touch, even if the source isn’t human or alive, for that matter. Researcher and roboticist Alice Haynes, a former member of the soft robotics group at Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the UK, joined forces with Annie Lywood-a textile specialist who creates products for people with sensory needs-to test out a breathing cushion students could use to relieve anxiety before an exam. Another study published in 2013 in the journal Psychological Science found that simply holding a teddy bear could reduce existential fear in people with low self-esteem.Īnother research study published in March 2022 in the journal PLOS One provided additional insight into why these types of objects might offer comfort. The authors attribute that calming effect to deep-touch pressure stimulation, a feeling that weighted blankets provide that soothes the nervous system. ![]() One small study published in 2020 in the Journal of Integrative Medicine found that weighted blankets reduced anxiety in patients at a psychiatric facility who chose to use them, compared to patients who did not. “It’s not surprising that humans can stimulate thoughts and feelings related to interpersonal contact with an inanimate stuffed object.” ![]() ![]() Objects like these likely play a similar role for adults. “We know children love stuffed animals-they’re what we used to call a ‘transitional object’ between just being by yourself and being connected with another human,” he says. David Spiegel, associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, says it makes sense that people find comfort in these objects. There’s now a fluffy robotic seal for people with dementia, a weighted teddy bear for grieving adults, and a cushion that mimics breathing to calm people down.īecause this is an emerging field, the science behind why certain objects soothe us is still being studied. Researchers and product developers have noticed, and in turn have been creating products specifically designed to help alleviate certain ailments. Whether they’re dealing with anxiety, stress, grief, isolation, or memory loss, countless people find solace in stuffed animals, weighted blankets, and other soft comfort objects.
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