Start Date
24-4-2025 12:00 AM
Description
Recently, stuffed animals have resurged in interest among children and adults. For example, in 2023, Squishmallows won Plush Toy of the Year at the annual Toy Association Awards. We surveyed 184 adult participants (18 or older) to identify who owns stuffed animals. We were interested in whether certain personality variables predict who has these toys and why adults retain interest in these toys. Among our participants, 71.7% owned stuffed animals. We hypothesized that adults with higher stress/anxiety would report increased likelihood of owning stuffed animals. This hypothesis was supported. An independent samples t-test showed that participants with stuffed animals reported higher anxiety (M=8.01, SD= 2.97) than participants without stuffed animals (M=5.55, SD=2.63). A second hypothesis on attachment, proximity, and self-esteem found that adults with higher stuffed animal attachment have higher self-esteem (r(111)= .246, p=.01). However, proximity to animals was not related (r(114)= -.055, p>.05). The third hypothesis proposed that people would report positive feelings about stuffed animals. Qualitative analysis showed the most common words describing stuffed animals included comforting, love, safety, sleep, memories, and happiness. This study helps Psychology and Marketing by providing insight into which adults buy stuffed animals, which may assist in mental health programs and marketing plans.
Recommended Citation
Reed, Anna R., "Stuffed Animals and Adults" (2025). 2025 Student Academic Showcase. 10.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2025/Posters/Posters/10
Included in
Stuffed Animals and Adults
Recently, stuffed animals have resurged in interest among children and adults. For example, in 2023, Squishmallows won Plush Toy of the Year at the annual Toy Association Awards. We surveyed 184 adult participants (18 or older) to identify who owns stuffed animals. We were interested in whether certain personality variables predict who has these toys and why adults retain interest in these toys. Among our participants, 71.7% owned stuffed animals. We hypothesized that adults with higher stress/anxiety would report increased likelihood of owning stuffed animals. This hypothesis was supported. An independent samples t-test showed that participants with stuffed animals reported higher anxiety (M=8.01, SD= 2.97) than participants without stuffed animals (M=5.55, SD=2.63). A second hypothesis on attachment, proximity, and self-esteem found that adults with higher stuffed animal attachment have higher self-esteem (r(111)= .246, p=.01). However, proximity to animals was not related (r(114)= -.055, p>.05). The third hypothesis proposed that people would report positive feelings about stuffed animals. Qualitative analysis showed the most common words describing stuffed animals included comforting, love, safety, sleep, memories, and happiness. This study helps Psychology and Marketing by providing insight into which adults buy stuffed animals, which may assist in mental health programs and marketing plans.