# data[].attributes.headline
Picture album using visual aesthetic devices

# data[].attributes.subject
Picture album using visual aesthetic devices

# data[].attributes.body
To be loved is to be changed

# data[].attributes.body
The first ever stuffed toy was created in 1880 by a German Stieff company. It was originally supposed to be a felt elephant-shaped pincushion but soon became popular as a toy.

By the early 20th century, the toy industry significantly expanded with new stuffed toys being produced such as the teddy bear.

As stuffed toys became more popular throughout the world, many countries started to create their own renditions of stuffed toys, creating new characters or using existing characters from popular media which come to life in a form of a studded toy. One example of this is in Japan, where stationery company San-X created Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi characters in order to appeal to a younger demographic.

Today, stuffed toys are as popular as they were before with many brands of soft toys coming up with new characters or modifying old ones.

# data[].attributes.body
a) What made me curious about this soft toy was the state that it was in, making me wonder about the journey it went through to land in the museum in such a state.

# data[].attributes.body
Psychology of stuffed toys

Most stuffed toys revolve around the idea of being a comfort object or more formally known in psychology as a transitional object or attachment object which was coined by English paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Woods Winnicott.

For children, this concept is important in early childhood development as a child, in the first 3 years of their life, is slowly developing a sense of self, 'transitioning' from their imagination where they feel that they are an independent entity with their mother to the real world outside the child where they realise that they are dependent of others.

This often can be a stressful and anxiety-inducing period for a child, therefore a comfort object is put in place to help the child cope with this.

For adults, stuffed toys are often significant to them, providing psychological strength and assistance and helping one's capacity of being alone. These toys may be looked to for emotional support in transitional periods such as assimilating into a new area or experiencing trauma or significant loss.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Does the photo essay tell a unique and compelling story?

Dramatic tension: Will 臭臭(chou chou)  be able to convince his owner that he is worthy enough to play with him again?

Stakes: Him exploring an unknown and potentially dangerous environment.

Conflict:

Where he found the pair of eyes, allowing him to see the truth

Empathy: He is left all alone by himself and in the end, has to face the harsh truth.

Climax:

The pair of eyes allowed him to flashback and see all the times his owner have loved him.

Story Question: Where is 臭臭(chou chou)  owner?

Resolution:

He finds out his owner is no longer alive. Filled with regret and grief, he embraced his owner’s warmth as he drifted to sleep

Vicarious Experience: What is it like being a soft toy?

# data[].attributes.body
b) When I was growing up, I had many soft toys. Some were bought from stores like Kiddy Palace, and others were made by my mother. Regardless of how I got them, each one carries an important memory in my life.

For example, the HDB my family and I lived in was shaking due to an earthquake in one of the neighbouring ASEAN countries. It was so strong that all the residents of that block had to evacuate the building.
Being the annoying baby that I was at the time, I needed the comfort of a soft toy and stole my sister's Winnie the Pooh teddy bear. After the whole situation cooled down, my sister got very angry with me. However, I didn't regret what I had done as it provided me comfort during that scary time.

# data[].attributes.body
Feeling neglected by his owner, 臭臭(chou chou) , the blind soft toy dog decides to go on an adventure to convince his owner that he is comparable to the other popular toys, hoping that he would play with him again but soon discovers the reality of his situation.

# data[].attributes.body
c) Today, soft toys can still be found everywhere: in amusement arcades, restaurants, toy shops, etc. They also enjoy great popularity among adults and children alike.

# data[].attributes.body
Stuffed toys are one of the most popular toys out there, whether it is used a comfort object, for display and collecting or as a gift for any occasions.

Because of this, many stuffed toys have become fads/trends due to innovative marketing strategies that make them desireable.

One example of this is the creation of Beanie Babies by Ty Warner. With a wide range of colours and types of animals but with a deliberate scarcity of their product made these toys even more desirable, significantly increasing their resale value. Moreover, when the internet was prominent, the company used it to their advantage by directing customers to their website on the tags of each toy, allowing them to gain a better understanding of the company and in turn build a loyal customer base.

More examples of these trends include Furbys, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Webkins etc.

Case study on cultural impact: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_458_2005-01-11.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
McDonald's, the McDonald's, the fast-food chain, opened its first outlet in Singapore at Liat Towers in 1979. By 2000, it had expanded to 113 restaurants around Singapore. In appreciation of its large customer base, the fast-food chain offered Hello Kitty toys at cost price along with its Extra Value Meals.The promotion began on 1 January 2000, with one design released weekly on Thursdays.The promotion veered out of control each time the toys were released.Besides females who were thought to be the more ardent collectors of the soft toys, young men also contributed to the buying frenzy. They were eager to snap up the toys to impress their girlfriends, or to hold on to the toys in anticipation of the appreciation in value of these collectibles.The long lines for the Hello Kitty toys became hotspots for frayed nerves and flaring tempers, which led to unruly and inconsiderate behaviour, as well as spats among impatient customers.The chaos caused by the Hello Kitty promotion resulted in complaints from many quarters, including the public and various businesses, with some 6,000 small-and-medium businesses represented by the Federation of Merchants' Association. Merchants in housing estates groused that the long queues at McDonald's were adversely affecting their businesses.McDonald's apologised for the inconveniences caused and took steps to regulate the promotion following a review.Normalcy returned to McDonald's restaurants on 3 February. fast-food chain, launched a 40-day Wedding Design Hello Kitty toy promotion with its Extra Value Meals on 1 January 2000. 1 This promotion was based on the popular Japanese feline icon Hello Kitty and its companion, Dear Daniel. The promotion is remembered for sparking a queuing frenzy by thousands of people, as well as igniting a public debate on the suitability of such soft toy promotions and the unruly response of Singaporeans that had ensued. ² Background Hello Kitty is a popular Japanese feline icon that was launched on 1 November 1974. ³ Created by the Japanese toy company, Sanrio, the cartoon icon gained many fans worldwide, including Singapore. ⁴ ⁵

The buying frenzy
⁶ Each set of toys comprised a pair of Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel figures, dressed in different wedding costumes, such as Malay, Japanese, Chinese and Korean outfits. ⁷ The pair came in six designs. 400,000 sets of each design were produced. ⁸ 9 Thousands of people turned up to buy the toys with the Extra Value Meals, with crowds forming as early as sunrise, and in some instances, the night before. ¹⁰ This overwhelming response was unprecedented in McDonald's history. The fast-food chain was initially caught unprepared, as logistics and security support were needed to manage the huge crowds at its outlets. ¹¹ There were also long queues at McDonald's drive-thru counters, which caused traffic disruptions. 13 Some customers wanted to purchase the toys to resell them at marked-up prices. ¹⁴ As each pair of toys cost S$4.50 with any Extra Value Meal, the entire line of Hello Kitty toys could fetch as much as S$980, a spokesman for McDonald's revealed. The rate of acquiring and hoarding the toys outpaced buyers' ability to consume the food. As a result, many purchased meals were thrown away, which led to complaints of unnecessary and senseless food waste. ¹⁵ ¹⁶ At the Boon Keng outlet, the weight of the queue came to bear on the glass door, shattering it and injuring at least seven people. Three were sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for outpatient treatment. ¹⁷ In addition, the long wait was physically draining for some, which resulted in fainting spells. Winding down of promotion ¹⁸ ¹⁹ The Ministry of Environment noted an increase in the volume of garbage left behind by McDonald's customers, and ordered the fast-food chain to clean up its outlets by 27 January 2000. The Singapore Civil Defence Force received phone calls about people fighting and fainting while in the queue. The Consumer Association of Singapore pointed out that McDonald's should have pre-empted these problems, based on a similar promotion held in Hong Kong the year before. ²⁰ 21 Besides setting a limit of four toys per customer, the fast-food chain stopped selling the toys at its kiosks at Singapore Turf Club, Chinatown Point and Clementi, and did the same at its drive-thru counters to prevent traffic jams. ²⁶ In total, 2.8 million toys were sold during the promotion, which is well-remembered for the frenzy it created and, as some commentators highlighted, "Singaporeans' penchant for queuing". ²⁷ ²² It also stationed more than 130 security guards at all outlets. ²³ In addition, it introduced a coupon system for the last of the six designs - the Hello Kitty dolls dressed in a Chinese wedding outfit. The system entailed selling vouchers to those who wished to purchase the Hello Kitty pair. No limit was placed on the number of vouchers per customer, but the toys could only be collected in July at a date specified by McDonald's. ²⁴ To prevent food wastage, McDonald's gave customers the option to donate their meals to charities. ²⁵ ¹²

In 2013, McDonald's launched a series of six Hello Kitty characters dressed in outfits from popular fairy tales. One plush toy was released over the counter every week from 30 May till 3 July. The plush toy was sold at S$4.60 each with every purchase of an Extra Value Meal, or S$10 each without an Extra Value Meal.The release of the last toy, a limited edition "Singing Bone" Hello Kitty, resulted in long queues outside McDonald's outlets islandwide before the launch on 27 June midnight. The police were called in to manage the crowds and incidences of queue-jumping at many outlets. There were more than 600 advertisements for the toy on eBay. Many toys were offered at inflated prices, with one bid going as high as $126,000.In 2014, in celebration of Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary, McDonald's launched a new series of six Hello Kitty plush toys dressed up as other Sanrio characters. Each toy was sold at S$4.95 with the purchase of an Extra Value Meal. Singapore was the first in the world to get the collection.The Hello Kitty Bubbly World Collector's set was also made available for online purchase for the first time. Each set, which costs S$80, consists of all six toys, a 40th anniversary certificate and six Extra Value Meal S$5 vouchers. Online pre-orders started at 11 am on 23 April; each customer was allowed to order up to three sets. However, online sales was suspended within 80 minutes due to the overwhelming response. Subsequently, it resumed at about 7 pm the same day.It was reported that due to the crowd control measures implemented by McDonald's, there were shorter queues during in-store sales of the first of the six toys, which started on 28 April.To minimise food wastage, customers who only wanted to collect the toys had the option of donating their meals to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (SPMF)., 14 January 2000, 3. (From NewspaperSG), 19 January 2000, 48. (From NewspaperSG), 30 January 1999, 3. (From NewspaperSG), 16 January 2000, 2. (From NewspaperSG), 27 January 2000, 3. (From NewspaperSG), 28 December 2000, 9. (From NewspaperSG), 2 February 2000, 28. (From NewspaperSG), 29 December 2000, H10. (From NewspaperSG), 7 January 2000, 3. (From NewspaperSG), 21 January 2000, 62. (From NewspaperSG), 27 January 2000, 2. (From NewspaperSG)"; Tan, "Hello Kitty Queues Disrupting Business." , 4 February 2000, 22. (From NewspaperSG), 9 August 2001, 5. (From NewspaperSG)," McDonald's Singapore, accessed 26 April 2019., 28 June 2013, 2. (From NewspaperSG), 23 April 2014. , 24 April 2014, 4. (From NewspaperSG), 29 April 2014, 5. (From NewspaperSG), 27 April 2014, 20. (From NewspaperSG)39. Tan, "Hello Kitty Queues Disrupting Business." 44. McDonald's Singapore, "McDonald's Hello Kitty Fairy Tales." Subsequent promotions
²⁸ ²⁹

30 ³¹ ³² ³³

Timeline
1 Jan 2000: McDonald's begins a 40-day promotion of Hello Kitty toys with its Extra Value Meals. The toys are dressed in wedding costumes of different cultures. ³⁴ The first fight due to this promotion takes place between a doctor and three others. 2 Jan 2000: First report of long queues totalling about 250,000 to 300,000 customers for the soft toys. ³⁶ 6 Jan 2000: Release of Hello Kitty pair dressed in Malay wedding outfits. ³⁷ 13 Jan 2000: Release of toys in dressed in Korean wedding outfits. Seven people in a queue at the Boon Keng Road outlet are injured when a glass door, unable to withstand the weight of those pushing against it, shatters. ³⁸ 25 Jan 2000: McDonald's announces that these outlets ceased selling the toys: Singapore Turf Club, Chinatown Point and Clementi. Sales at its drive-thru had already stopped. ³⁹ More than 130 security personnel are hired by McDonald's to patrol its outlets. 27 Jan 2000: Release of Hello Kitty pair dressed in Japanese wedding outfits. Six people are arrested: three at McDonald's Bangkit Road outlet for rioting, and three other men for disorderly conduct at the Bedok Reservoir, Lion City Hotel and Lot 1 Shopper's Mall outlets. 28 Jan 2000: 64 more Cisco guards are added to control unruly crowds at 24 outlets. ⁴² 1 Feb 2000: McDonald's introduces a voucher system that entails the sale of vouchers to those who wish to purchase the Hello Kitty pair dressed in Chinese wedding outfits. 30 May 2013: Release of Hello Kitty toys dressed in outfits from The Wizard of Oz. The McDelivery Hello Kitty toy, which is only available through McDelivery, is also released. 6 Jun 2013: Release of the Little Red Riding Hood Hello Kitty plush toys. ⁴¹ 13 Jun 2013: Release of The Frog Prince Hello Kitty plush toys. ⁴⁰ 20 Jun 2013: Release of The Ugly Duckling Hello Kitty plush toys. ³⁵ 27 Jun 2013: Release of The Singing Bone Hello Kitty plush toys. ⁴⁴ 23 Apr 2014: Online pre-order for the Hello Kitty Bubbly World Collector's set begins. ⁴⁵ 28 Apr 2014: Release of Kerokerokeroppi Hello Kitty plush toys.
5 May 2014: Release of My Melody Hello Kitty plush toys.
12 May 2014: Release of Osaru No Monkichi Hello Kitty plush toys.
19 May 2014: Release of PomPomPurin Hello Kitty plush toys.
26 May 2014: Release of Tuxedosam Hello Kitty plush toys.
Authors

1.
"Buy for Charity's Kitty," New Paper, 30 December 1999, 8; Chong Chee Kin, " Seven Hurt in Rush for Hello Kitty Toys,"
Straits Times2. Alan John, " Hello Kitty? Then, Goodbye, Golden Arches," Straits Times3. " Sanrios Stable,"
Straits Times4. Lea Wee and Lynn Lee, " Hello, What's Fuss All About?" Straits Times5. John, " Hello Kitty?6. Trudy Lim, " Cute Cat, Ugly S'porean," New Paper
7. " Kitty Chaos," Straits Times8. "
McDonald's Explains Its Moves," Straits Times9. Hong Xinyi, " Dear Miss Kitty I'm Angry. I'm Fed-Up,"
New Paper, 14 January 2000, 17; John, " Hello Kitty?10. Debbie Goh, " McDonald's to Keep a Lid On Hello Kitty Frenzy," Straits Times11. " McDonald's Explains Its Moves12. Samanatha Santa Maria, " Long Queues for Cutie Kitty Collectibles," Straits Times13. L. H. Chua, "The Tragic-Comedy of Hello Kitty,"
Straits Times, 29 January 2000. (From Factiva via NLB's eResources14. Wee and Lee, " What's Fuss All About?15. Santa Maria, " Long Queues for Cutie Kitty Collectibles16. " Kitty Chaos"; Laurel Teo and Palden Tshering, "
6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly," Straits Times, 28 January 2000, 3; Koh Boon Pin, " Kitty Mania Rages On," Straits Times17. Chong, " Seven Hurt in Rush18. " 7 Faint," New Paper19. K. T. Tan, "Hello Kitty Queues Disrupting Business," Straits Times, 26 January 2000. (From Factiva via NLB's eResources20. Teo and Tshering, " 6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly21. Teo and Tshering, " 6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly"; John, " Hello Kitty?22. John, " Hello Kitty?
23. Koh, " Kitty Mania Rages On24. Teo and Tshering, " 6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly"; " Hello Kitty, Goodbye Unruly Queues," Straits Times25. John, "
Hello Kitty?26. " Goodbye Unruly Queues27. Goh, " McDonald's to Keep a Lid"; " Taking the Queue from Singaporeans," Straits Times28. " McDonald's Hello Kitty Fairy Tales Usher in a Season of Fun29. Rachel Tan, " Cat Fights and Long Queues," Straits Times30. Melissa Heng, "
McDonald's Hello Kitty Is Back in Singapore, Will Crazy Queues Return?" Straits Times31. Lee Jian Xuan, " Online Mayhem over Hello Kitty," Straits Times32. Hoe Pei Shan, " Fast-Moving Queues Purrfect for Toy Sales," Straits Times
33. Melody Zaccheus, " Chance for Extra Value Good Deed," Straits Times34. Wee and Lee, " What's Fuss All About?"; Chong, " Seven Hurt in Rush35. Koh, " Kitty Mania Rages On36. " McDonald's Explains Its Moves37. Santa Maria, " Long Queues for Cutie Kitty Collectibles
38. Chong, " Seven Hurt in Rush"; Koh, " Kitty Mania Rages On
40. Koh, " Kitty Mania Rages On41. Teo and Tshering, " 6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly42. Teo and Tshering, " 6 Held as Hello Kitty Queues Turn Ugly
43. " Goodbye Unruly Queues45. Lee, " Online Mayhem over Hello Kitty46. " McDonald's Hello Kitty 40th Anniversary
The information in this article is valid as at May 2019 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Hello Kitty (Fictitious character)
Trade and industry
Advertising campaigns--Singapore

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
McDonald's, the fast-food chain, launched a 40-day Wedding Design Hello Kitty toy promotion with its Extra Value Meals on 1 January 2000. This promotion was based on the popular Japanese feline icon Hello Kitty and its companion, Dear Daniel.

# data[].attributes.body
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/to-be-loved-is-to-be-changed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
About

To Be Loved Is To Be Changed is a quote from Twitter user @tacticalcoqette commenting on before-and-after pictures of a well-loved stuffed animal. The quote soon spread widely on Twitter in February 2023 as other users began applying it as a catchphrase to various images and wholesome memes.

Origin

On February 15th, 2023, Twitter user @steviaplath showed before-and-after images of a stuffed sheep toy, with the "after" picture showing it withered and dirty. The user captioned the image "Too much love." In response, Twitter user @tacticalcoqette responded, "Just the right amount :) to be loved is to be changed," gaining over 1,100 retweets and 6,800 likes in less than a week (full exchange shown below).

Spread

On February 20th, 2023, Twitter user @muttzone posted a picture that applied the quote to the Well-loved Garfield Plush, gaining over 30,000 retweets and 189,000 likes in three days (shown below, left). On February 22nd, Twitter user @MrFishtopher, a Twitter account dedicated to a cat, posted before-and-after pictures of the account's cat with the caption, gaining over 22,000 retweets and 196,000 likes in one day (shown below, right)

On February 23rd, the Twitter account @daily_plushies then posted a video montage of well-loved stuffed animals centered around the catchphrase, gaining over 10,000 retweets and 50,000 likes in less than 24 hours (seen below).

Just the right amount to be loved is to be changed :) pic.twitter.com/r22ZXgGYUO

- plush of the day💙💛 (requests opened) (@daily_plushies) February 23, 2023

As the quote spread, it was often paired with images of pets, stuffed animals or various pop culture characters. For example, on February 22nd, 2023, Twitter user @p4intedlady applied the quote to Korra from The Legend of Korra, gaining over 80 retweets and 430 likes in one day (shown below, left). The following day, user @S0FTC0FFIN applied it to pictures of a cat, gaining over 25 retweets and 260 likes in less than 12 hours (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To Be Loved Is To Be Changed is a quote from Twitter user @tacticalcoqette commenting on before-and-after pictures of a well-loved stuffed animal. The quote soon spread widely on Twitter in February 2023 as other users began applying it as a catchphrase to various images and wholesome memes.

# data[].attributes.body
2)

- I think the visual aesthetic devices help to show the main character's emotions and also bring drama to the story
-I think my use of a variety of visual aesthetic devices and consistent use of hard, coloured light make the photo visually cohesive
-I think what can be improved is the clarity of the scenes

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.hatchery.com.sg/blogs/baby-guides-singapore/importance-of-chou-chou-pillow

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many of us probably have a personal comfort item, typically huggable and colloquially known as a Chou Chou. For those who are not familiar with this term, it is also known as 'bantal busuk' or 'blankie' - something personal you've had since young, and probably for the rest of your life.

Even now, Chou Chou remains a precious and intimate piece that many of us hold very dear to our hearts. Let's take a look at why this unassuming item is irreplaceable in our lives.

Childhood

Chou Chous comes in different shapes and sizes, but they all share a distinctive feature - their scents. It represents your childhood and is also very likely to contain a mix of tears, drool, and sweat. Hence, the familiar scent formed over the years is very much acquired and is hardly appreciated by anyone else besides yourself.

For many, childhood is a nostalgic memory that remains ever so precious. It's no surprise that one may get angry at the thought of having to, or someone washing their Chou Chou. Ironically, Chou Chou literally translates to 'smelly' in Chinese. But it's precisely this stinky smell that makes it the most intimate and 'personalized' possession to you.

Chou Chous are crucial to a baby's development to toddler, and subsequently childhood.

To a newborn, the world outside of the womb can be a wild and scary place. During their first development stage (typically the first 3 months), infants rely mainly on transitional objects to ease them into independence. They may also start to grip objects in their hands, not to mention it's absolutely adorable to see their whole hand wrap around just one of your fingers!

Traditional Chou Chous in Singapore are filled with dried bean sprout husks for added comfort, and babies love them because it reminds them of their own mothers - soft, warm and gentle. Other forms are becoming increasingly popular in recent years, especially soft toys or pillows with cotton fillings as they are extremely huggable and soft to touch.

The Lollibly's Cho Pillow comes with side buntings, perfect for little ones to practice their grip strength and curiosity. Usable as a cuddle pillow for your infant's first few months with supervision, they can start using it as a pillow when they're older. But most of the time, Cho functions best as a cuddle buddy.

There's no love like Cho love

Our bond with Chou Chou is a healthy attachment that stems from our instinctual need for human touch. As a parent, you'll probably have the final say in choosing the best Chou Chou for your baby as they are too little to know or decide anything.

Given the increasing importance of hygiene and cleanliness, getting a Chou Chou with a removable cover gives you the flexibility to wash it periodically (ideally with the owner's permission, of course). In addition to having removable covers, Cho Pillows are available in 2 designs - Momo Bunny and Maru Bear, and 3 sizes for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Who says you're only able to get a Chou Chou from young? Just because you've missed out on this in the earlier stages of your life doesn't mean that it's too late to start now. Furthermore, now that you're older, you're able to better decide on your lifetime cuddle buddy. They also make great gifts to expecting mothers or a little one's first birthday.

Drop by our showroom to touch and feel our Cho Pillows in-person, and find out if you're Team Momo Bunny or Team Maru Bear, or you may very well end up collecting 'em all!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many of us probably have a personal comfort item, typically huggable and colloquially known as a Chou Chou. For those who are not familiar with this term, it is also known as 'bantal busuk' or 'blankie' - something personal you've had since young, and probably for the rest of your life.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.inpsychful.sg/do-you-still-have-your-chou-chou/#:~:text=Chous%20chous%20are%20also%20known,or%20know%20someone%20who%20does!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is a chou chou?

Chou Chou - which literally translates to "smelly" in Mandarin, refers to a comforting item, which could be a tiny bolster, pillow stuff toy or blanket. Chous chous are also known as 'bantal busuk' in malay (meaning "smelly pillow"). You may even have one or know someone who does! For those with chou chous, you may have had them since you were a young child and it seems to be irreplaceable and a must-have before you go to sleep. Some of us seem to have attachments to Chou Chous, even in our adulthood. Such attachment to objects is defined as "the experience a person has when they feel an emotional attachment to an inanimate object and may even feel a sense of loss if they were to part with the object" (Schifferstein & Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, 2008).

Why do we have chou chous as kids?

Chou chous could be the 'transitional object' which young children often develop strong, consistent attachment towards. Having a chou chou when we were younger may have helped facilitate us to acquire different qualities and serve different psychological functions as we became more independent physically and emotionally (Litt, 1986). These items serve as an anxiety reducing and comforting function for children. In an experiment where children were grouped into a group - one with their attachment object, and one with their mothers, to play in a novel playroom. It was found that children with their attachment items played and explored the new rooms without showing distress for the same period of time as children who had their mothers in the room (Passman and Weisberg, 1975; Passman, 1976, 1977).

Benefits of Chou Chou as children

In the past, until the 1970s, psychologists believed that attachment to soft toys after a normative age were signs of a failing by the child's mother. However, later research found that children with their beloved blankets at the doctor's office expressed lower level of distress (Ybarra et al., 2000).

As we grow older, the need for a sense of security in these items may fade, but the attachment stays. In a small study of 230 middle-school students found that 21 percent of girls and 12 percent of boys were still using their security objects when they were ages 13 to 14 and 73 percent of the girls and 45 percent of the boys still knew where their beloved object was at (Pappas, 2010).

Why are some of us still so attached to our chou chous?

Even as adults, we can still be attached to objects (like chou chous) that means something to us. When we think about our chou chous, we may link it with a memory that we have, and this generates a sense of comfort depending on the content of the memory. Some has shared that their comfort item is a reminder of their childhood and is a symbol for happier times in life (Pappas, 2010).

Our attachment to our chou chous are linked to "essentialism", the idea that items are more than just their physical entities (Pappas, 2010). Consider this scenario, if you were given an opportunity to exchange your chou chou for an exact replica of it, would you agree to exchange it? Most individuals would prefer their original beloved item compared to its duplicates (Pappas, 2010). Experiments have shown such a phenomenon, suggesting that we have an emotional connection to the item and not just one that looked like it (Pappas, 2010).

It was found that older adults who have held on to an object for several decades may find it more difficult to discard their items (Dozier & Ayers, 2021). This is due to increased difficulty in decision making (due to cognitive functioning declining with age) and past behaviour of keeping the item which heightens their perceived emotional attachment to the item (Dozier & Ayers, 2021). For example, a person who has kept their chou chou for decades may feel more attached to it due to the familiarity with the chou chou, and at the same time, it is more difficult for this person to make a decision, whether to throw it away or not. Thus, he or she assume that her earlier decision was right and decides to continue keeping it.

Chou chous definitely mean more than just the physical construct of it. If you have one, what does your chou chou mean to you?

Camellia Wong (MA), Tan Khai Teng
More Articles
How Do We Comfort Someone?

How to elicit emotional comfort from your partner?

I am Asian and Emotionally Distressed. Am I allowed to seek help for my problems?

Everyone seems to be living their best life! Why do I feel so inadequate?

How does my attachment style affect my relationships as an adult?

Reference

Dozier, M. E., & Ayers, C. R. (2021). Object attachment as we grow older. Current Opinion in Psychology, 39, 105-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.012

Litt, C. J. (1986). Theories of transitional object attachment: An overview. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 9(3), 383-399. https://doi.org/10.1177/016502548600900308

Pappas, S. (2010, October 10). Even Grown-Ups Need Security Blankets. https://www.livescience.com/8737-grown-ups-security-blankets.html

Passman, R. H. (1976). Arousal reducing properties of attachment objects: Testing the functional limits of the security blanket relative to the mother. Developmental Psychology, 12(5), 468-469. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.12.5.468

Passman, R. H. (1977). Providing attachment objects to facilitate learning and reduce distress: Effects of mothers and security blankets. Developmental Psychology, 13(1), 25-28. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.13.1.25

Passman, R. H., & Weisberg, P. (1975). Mothers and blankets as agents for promoting play and exploration by young children in a novel environment: The effects of social and nonsocial attachment objects. Developmental Psychology, 11(2), 170-177. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076464

Schifferstein, H. N., & Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, E. P. (2008). Consumer-product attachment: Measurement and design implications. International journal of design, 2(3).

Ybarra, G. J., Passman, R. H., & Eisenberg, C. S. (2000). The presence of security blankets or mothers (Or both) affects distress during pediatric examinations. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(2), 322-330. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.2.322

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Do You Still Have Your Chou Chou? - InPsychful

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is a chou chou? Chou Chou - which literally translates to "smelly" in Mandarin, refers to a comforting item, which could be a tiny bolster, pillow stuff toy or blanket. Chous chous are also known as 'bantal busuk' in malay (meaning "smelly pillow"). You may even have one or know someone who does!