Althouse: "Some people might automatically assume that an adult owning a toy animal is an indicator of the owner's immaturity."

February 8, 2013

"Some people might automatically assume that an adult owning a toy animal is an indicator of the owner's immaturity."

But "there was no association of adult toy animal ownership with emotion regulation and maturity."

25 comments:

SeanF said...: The Bronies will be happy to hear this.; 2/8/13, 8:28 AM
Wince said...: This interview is extremely well done.

How did they do it?; 2/8/13, 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...: Medical research has shown that the maximum duration of a man's erection drops by 30 seconds for each stuffed animal his wife has in the bedroom.

Peter; 2/8/13, 8:41 AM
Eric the Fruit Bat said...: Didn't Scientific American used to be for smart people?; 2/8/13, 8:44 AM
Cody Jarrett said...: My mother is one of the most immature people I've ever met. She also has a huge collection of stuffed animals, mostly bears. She cleans them and fixes them and dresses then and arranges them. It (among other things, but it was actually mentioned) finally drove my father from the house.

I know another woman who turned her passion for stuffed animals into a business--making them. She's also extremely immature.

I think the article might need some work.; 2/8/13, 8:47 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: Apparently, we're short on controversy this morning.

Nothing at all to get pissed off about!

The blizzard is just getting started in NY!; 2/8/13, 8:51 AM
Kelly said...: Before I read the article, I thought they were talking about an actual dog toy breed, like a Yorkie or teacup poodle. Don't think I've ever known an actual adult who owned stuffed animals.; 2/8/13, 8:52 AM
DADvocate said...: Well, that's a relief. I have an entire room of stuffed animals, adult size baby bed and other implements of childhood. I love to lie there and watch the mobile go round while it plays Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.; 2/8/13, 9:01 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Didn't Scientific American used to be for smart people?"

Emphasis used to be on the "Scientific." Now it's on the "American."; 2/8/13, 9:04 AM
Irene said...: I had the same thought as Kelly. Didn't we used to call these "stuffed animals?"; 2/8/13, 9:12 AM
Shouting Thomas said...: The neighbor lady, a widow, just stopped by to give me a cake. For no reason at all!

It's that kinda day!; 2/8/13, 9:16 AM
edutcher said...: Shout, you're winning.

As far as toy animals, it's only a problem if they're inflatable.; 2/8/13, 9:22 AM
KCFleming said...: The study asked:

"Our questionnaire included items asking participants their age, sex, country of birth, and whether they currently owned a toy animal with the question "Do you have any of the following soft toys (also called 'stuffed animals'): bear, lamb, cat, dog, other animal). The respondents were further asked to indicate whether they had owned the toy animals from childhood, from childhood, from between 10-16 years, or acquired them more recently."

So it failed to clarify whether the stuffed animal did not in fact belong to a child in the family.; 2/8/13, 9:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Stuffed toy animals never interested me as a child and as an adult seemed a bit trashy. I do however collect Italian 11 inch cloth dolls made for the tourist trade from between 1920 and 1950's, called Magis dolls. Also German cloth dolls from famous doll maker Ilse Ludecke. I keep them in a curio cabinet, circa 1900.

I would not however turn down an antique Steiff bear.; 2/8/13, 9:45 AM
edutcher said...: The Blonde collects dragons.

If they were real, I'd be worried, but this is harmless.; 2/8/13, 9:49 AM
Cody Jarrett said...: And just like that, Inga shows up and demonstrates some good taste, both with dolls and Steiff bears (my father for years begged my mother...if she had to collect the bears, at least collect good ones). The Ludecke dolls are cool.

I wouldn't collect them, but I think they're neat to look at.; 2/8/13, 10:02 AM
Sorun said...: All appearances of the word "adult" should be replaced with "woman."; 2/8/13, 10:20 AM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: My husband collects toy trucks and cars. The older metal ones that really are quite valuable. The idea is to find them in thrift stores, yard sales at good prices....SCORE!!!! He has shelving that goes all around the workshop rooms just below the ceiling and has them displayed there.

I like that he collects and doesn't sell, because it gives me cover for my collections of pottery and ceramics: art deco, arts and crafts and early California. He can't complain about my collection because I can point out that he has about 40 cars and trucks. Bwhahahahah.

He also has his childhood teddy bear. Really beat up and missing an eye. Sadly....not Steiff.; 2/8/13, 10:25 AM
Freeman Hunt said...: "Didn't Scientific American used to be for smart people?"

I recently subscribed to American Scientist because, supposedly, its emphasis is on the science. I haven't received my first issue yet though.; 2/8/13, 11:33 AM
SJ said...: So, if the stuffed animal was stuffed by a taxidermist...

Does that make the situation different?; 2/8/13, 12:25 PM
Astro said...: Mitchell the Bat said... Didn't Scientific American used to be for smart people?

Yes, Scientific American is no longer the amazing magazine it used to be. Its content and editorial stance have become mind-numbingly stupid; it isn't a whole lot better than Time magazine. For years I subscribed, but I haven't bought a copy in probably 10 years.

It's like the print version of Gizmodo.; 2/8/13, 1:01 PM
Astro said...: But "there was no association of adult toy animal ownership with emotion regulation and maturity."

I have the sneaking suspicion that the author of this study owns a lot of stuffed toy animals.; 2/8/13, 1:05 PM
Michelle Dulak Thomson said...: Ditto, Kelly. My first thought was "small yappy dogs," not "teddy bears."; 2/8/13, 1:08 PM
Anonymous said...: I have two. I have an Angry Bird. I won it in an online game with a secret code and I'm very proud. ;) It's like the gnome in the movie Amelie. It can go anywhere as an accessory. I also have a Grover in the closet somewhere. He was the one I kept from childhood.

And at my mother's house still lies my "security blanket" stuffed toy from babyhood. She's asked me what to do with it, but I don't know how to dispose of it. I can't just throw it in the garbage even though it's just threads. Should I bury it?

I wish I had more favorite things, but they usually were thrashed for precisely the reason that they were my favorite things. I looked up my kindergarten lunchbox on Ebay and it's selling for BUCKS... because that's just how cool it was.

Anyway, I think it does indicate a certain occasional childlike quality. If someone had a room full of stuffed animals, I'd take it as an indicator of their personality. Doesn't mean they can't make a perfectly good realtor or whatever, but something's going on. Sorority girls, btw, had TONS of stuffed animals on their little girl beds compared to regular dorm or off-campus students. They got drunker than your average person more often, but it's the psychology that it indicates.; 2/8/13, 4:17 PM
Unknown said...: I hope Scientific American will write an article about the maturity level of people who like origami and other paper craft so I can leave it out for my guests to read in my messy craft room, or even for my kids.; 2/8/13, 4:19 PM