Stuffed Animals Can Prevent You From Getting Sick

Petting a stuffed dog has positive effects on the immune system:

The present study assessed the effect of petting a dog on secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels. 55 college students were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or one of two control groups. Group 1 (n = 19) petted a live dog; Group 2 (n = 17) petted a stuffed dog, while Group 3 (n = 19) simply sat comfortably on a couch. Each participant was exposed to one of the three conditions for 18 min. Pre- and posttreatment saliva samples yielded a significant increase in IgA for Group 1 only. Participants were also asked to complete the Pet Attitude Scale of Templer, Salter, Dickey, Baldwin and Veleber. Scores on this scale correlated with IgA increases only for participants in Group 2 (petting a stuffed animal). Results are discussed in terms of the beneficial effects of pets on health in general, and immunity in particular.

Source: CARL J. CHARNETSKI, SANDRA RIGGERS and FRANCIS X. BRENNAN (2004) EFFECT OF PETTING A DOG ON IMMUNE SYSTEM FUNCTION. Psychological Reports: Volume 95, Issue , pp. 1087-1091.

Join 151,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.

Related posts:

What is a ridiculously easy thing any doctor can do that will make you heal faster?

Does lack of sleep make you more likely to get sick?

Does having insurance affect your chance of leaving the ER alive?