Therese Sta. MariaAnimal lovers and bunny huggers, all your time on the Internet looking at animal photos and watching cute animal videos hasn’t been for nought after all! This recent study conducted by the University of Leeds in England has come to the conclusion that people who watch cute animals online turn out healthier and calmer amidst stressful circumstances. Let’s break it down for you!
The University of Leeds partnered with Tourism Western Australia to explore any psychological and physiological impact that cute and fluffy animals had on people. In this study, the participants were university students and staff on campus who were currently taking exams or were feeling stressed at work. Everyone had to answer 20 questions prior to the experiment so the researchers could determine stress levels under the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
Also read: The Cutest Animals in Western Australia Besides Koalas & Kangaroos!
How the study was conducted
There were reportedly 19 participants who were requested to watch a 30-minute slideshow which featured both photos and video clips of a number of cute animals like kittens, puppies, baby gorillas, and quokkas. Note that 15 participants were due to take an exam only 90 minutes after watching the slideshow.
The researchers found that the heart rates of every single participant dropped after the 30-minute screening. In addition, the average blood pressure of all participants fell from 136/88 to 115/71. This moved the group average to the ideal blood pressure range. Individually, blood pressures reportedly dropped by almost 50%.
If this isn’t enough to convince you that watching cute animals helps alleviate stress and anxiety, perhaps the timing of the experiment will. The researchers intentionally conducted this study in December 2019, when stress levels are significantly higher, especially for the university’s medical students.
Dr. Andrea Utley, who headed the research, admitted that she herself was surprised by the results. “I was quite pleasantly surprised that during the session, every single measure for every single participant dropped some — heart rate reduced, blood pressure reduced. When they left, they filled the questionnaire in again and indicated that they were feeling less anxious,” she said in a statement.
The most effective part of the 30-minute slideshow was said to be videos of animals interacting with humans. “It would appear that images appeal but video clips are more meaningful, and I would therefore expect that physical closeness [with animals] would be even better,” said Utley.
According to CNN, Utley planned to conduct eight sessions of the cute animal screening but was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. She’s currently exploring other online options, but chances are that the research will officially continue next year.
Also read: 5 Cute Animals You Can Get up Close & Personal with in New Zealand
Well, there you go — a study that officially suggests watching cute furry animals online isn’t a waste of time at all. So, what cuddly animal are you going to watch next?
