Plushology: A Gentle Science

By Nathalie Blanc, Professor of Psychology, and Thierry Brassac, Head of the Science & Society Department, University of Montpellier.

Founded in Montpellier in 2010 (the International Year of Biodiversity), “plushology” examines the imaginary ecosystem of stuffed animals through the eyes of a naturalist; it began as a science outreach project but evolved into a participatory research initiative to answer the question: “What does France’s most comforting teddy bear look like?”

We’ll tell you about the three scientific articles published by the team, as well as new research directions regarding these beloved stuffed animals.