We’ve all had that special blanket or stuffed animal that has accompanied us throughout our childhood.  For me, it was my beloved, dalmatian Beanie Baby “Dottie.”  And I won’t lie, Dottie accompanied me to college and currently lives in my apartment. Last year, going into my first semester, I was surprised and also comforted to see that my roommate had brought her “blankie” to school with her and gripped it tight every night while she slept.  However I don’t think you could characterize it as a blanket anymore because it was completely ripped to shreds that were tied together with a knot.  So why do we hold on to these objects for so long, even when they are falling apart?  Will we ever be able to let them go?

In a survey taken by the hotel chain Travelodge, 35% of 6,000 adults admitted to sleeping with stuffed animals.  The trend of bringing our beloved childhood objects into adulthood is actually more common than people think.  Even though we don’t want to admit it, chances are that our closets friends may be hiding their blankies under their pillow.  Before 1970, it was commonly believed by psychologists that this phenomenon portrayed a lack of parenting.  However, a 2000 study published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology discovered that children experienced less stress (measured by blood pressure and heart rate) at the doctor’s office when their security blankets or objects were by their side.

The attachment may fade while some children begin to grow and reach puberty, however, many children still hold on to these security objects into their teenage years.  A 1986 study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, sampled 230 middle school students.  In the study, researchers found that 21% of girls and 12% of boys still needed their security object.  73% of the girls and 45% of the boys still owned the beloved object or could name where that object was.

So why did my roommate have so much affection for a ratty knot of shredded blanket?  Bruce Hood, a psychologist from the University of Bristol, has studied the sentimental attachment people have to certain objects.  He says that the reason for our attachment is mainly nostalgia, but also deeply emotional.  According to LiveScience, the correct term to describe this phenomenon is Essentialism, which is defined as “the idea that objects are more than just their physical properties”.  In a study done by Hood, published in 2007 in the journal Cognition, children ranging from ages 3-6 were given the chance to place their toys in a “copy box”, exchanging them for a duplicate toy.  Hood and his colleagues found that the kids were willing to play with duplicates of most toys, but were reluctant to duplicate their favorite item.  25% refused to duplicate their security toy and most of those who did immediately wanted their original toy back.  The research showed that the children only had an emotional attachment to their very own item, even when given an object that looked exactly like it.

But how does this attachment follow us into adulthood?  Another study done by Hood in August of 2010 and published in the Journal of Cognition and Culture, asked adults to cut up photographs portraying their most cherished item. The researchers watched and noted the galvanic skin response or sweat production of the participants, as they cut.  Hood found that the people who sweated the most showed discontent in the activity.  Participants had a hard time cutting up pictures of the item, even when it was blurred and unrecognizable.  However, when asked to cut up a picture of a less valuable item, the participants displayed little or no distress.

It is still unknown among researchers what is in our brain that causes this attachment to these security objects.  Who knew we could have such deep and emotional relationships with ratty blankets and old, worn-out stuffed teddy bears? One thing I know for sure is that my beloved Dottie will be with me for a long long time.  She’s been a good companion throughout my childhood, and you can’t just throw away your friends!

References:

Pappas, Stephanie. “Even Grown-Ups Need Security Blankets.” LiveScience. Tech Media Network, 10 Oct. 2010. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.livescience.com/8737-grown-ups-security-blankets.html>.