What your teddy bear reveals about you and your relationship with nature

[Press release] - Published on September 24, 2025 in Press Room, Science-Society

Researchers from the University of Montpellier, the CNRS, Paul-Valéry University Montpellier, and Aix Marseille University have published two complementary studies on a universal and emotionally charged object: the teddy bear. These studies, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology and BioScience, show that teddy bears are far from being mere toys; they are genuine scientific models for understanding our emotions, social behaviors, and even our connection to nature.

The science of cuteness: beauty, comfort, and protection

The first study, published in The Journal of Positive Psychology, is based on more than 11,000 participants who evaluated 436 photos of teddy bears. The result: the "cuteness" of teddy bears is based on a winning trio of beauty, comfort, and the desire to protect. "The softer and more beautiful a teddy bear appears, the more its cuteness triggers our desire to protect it," explains Nathalie Blanc (Paul-Valéry University of Montpellier). In children, all these dimensions contribute equally to cuteness. In adults, however, comfort is the predominant factor. "This indicates that for adults, teddy bears are mainly associated with a comforting function, and that this criterion will be decisive when buying one for a child," explains Anne-Sophie Tribot (Aix Marseille University). "In fact, worn, damaged, or very atypical teddy bears generally have less appeal," continues Anne-Sophie Tribot. The study reveals other generational differences: children prefer colorful, atypical, and contrasting bears, while adults tend to prefer brown bears, which are more classic models. The researchers also show that the perception of softness is central to both adults and children: "even in photos, it is the stuffed animal that we imagine to be the most pleasant to cuddle that appeals to us the most." "The appeal (spontaneously attributed to the teddy bear) is not just a matter of aesthetics: it also fosters empathy and potentially stimulates prosocial behavior," concludes Nathalie Blanc. There is no doubt that the teddy bear is a formidable tool for understanding the psychological functioning of the individual.

Too cute to be wild: a reflection of our disconnection from nature

The second study, published in BioScience, was based on an unprecedented analysis: researchers compared the morphological and colorimetric characteristics of the teddy bears evaluated in their first study with those of real bears. The results show that teddy bears meet universal aesthetic standards: disproportionate heads, prominent eyes, rounded silhouettes, uniform coats, and neutral colors, which make them immediately endearing. But these features do not resemble those of wild bears. "Our analyses reveal that real bears are far from the standards of the most popular teddy bears: even the panda, which has become a global icon, remains distant from the representations conveyed by teddy bears," points out Nicolas Mouquet (University of Montpellier, CNRS). These differences reflect a profound disconnect between the emotional experience of nature and its biological reality. "The teddy bear is a mirror of our relationship with nature: it embodies both the tenderness of emotional attachment and our distance from the real world," explains Nicolas Mouquet. "Like the media and art, toys and stuffed animals play a major role in disseminating and popularizing idealized representations of living things," notes Anne-Sophie Tribot. This idealized vision may seem harmless, but it raises questions: "If our representations of living things are constructed from overly caricatural symbols, do we not risk losing our ability to perceive and protect the complexity of the natural world?" adds Nicolas Mouquet.

Much more than just toys!

These two studies converge: teddy bears are not just childhood companions. They act as mirrors of our emotions, our social representations, and our relationship with nature. Their appeal makes them powerful tools for developing empathy in children, alleviating anxiety in medical settings, and even questioning how we protect biodiversity. "Teddy bears are not just toys: they are mediators of tenderness, empathy, and affection, totems through which we can cultivate pro-nature values; but we must learn to use them wisely," concludes Nicolas Mouquet.