Comfort object

When the young child begins to separate the "me" from the "not-me" and evolves from complete dependence to a stage of relative independence, it uses transitional objects.The mother cannot always be there to "bring the world" to the baby, a realization which has a powerful, somewhat painful, but ultimately constructive impact on the child.It enables the child to have a fantasized bond with the mother when she gradually separates for increasingly longer periods of time.In Mental Space, Robert Young has provided an exposition of these concepts and has generalized their role into psychic phenomena in adult life.Along with other positive benefits, having a security blanket available can help children adapt to new situations, aid in their learning, and adjust to physicians' and clinical psychologists' evaluations.[7] After the September 11 attacks, writes Marita Sturken in Tourists of History, "the Oklahoma City National Memorial sent six hundred teddy bears and then the state of Oklahoma sent sixty thousand stuffed animals to New York, which were distributed to children in schools affected by 9/11, family support organizations, and New York fire stations.Many adults consider the comfort that security blankets provide as essential to their mental and emotional well-being.[13] In a 2008 study, the Sony AIBO robotic pet was found to decrease loneliness among elderly in nursing homes.[16] People may look to these objects for emotional support during transitional periods, such as assimilating to a new area, or when experiencing trauma or a significant loss.[16] Researchers have observed that the incidence of attachment behavior toward inanimate objects differs depending on the culture in which the infant was raised.[19] Common comfort objects used by humans include: pacifiers; weighted blankets; worry beads; and good luck charms.