Tribot A. S. auteur aut IRD Blanc N. auteur aut IRD Brassac T. auteur aut IRD Guilhaumon François auteur aut IRD Casajus N. auteur aut IRD Mouquet N. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Considered as a transitional object, the comforting power of the teddy bear has often been asserted in many past studies without knowing its underlying determinants. Through a participatory study conducted during the European Researchers' Night, this study aims to identify characteristics of teddy bears that influence their comforting power, including visual, olfactory and kinesthetic properties. We also tested the effect of ownership on comforting power. Our study revealed that the emotional bond shared with a teddy bear is a predominant factor. However, we identified characteristics that play a significant role in the perception of comfort, which lies in a combination of visual, olfactory, and especially kinesthetic characteristics. Through these results, our study identifies the determinants spontaneously taken into account in the attribution of teddy bears' capacity to provide comfort. These results were independent of participants' age, reminiscent of the teddy bear's ability to provide comfort at all stages of life. specialized Teddy bear emotional comfort participatory study transitional objects multi-sensory study 050 056 [Early access] [14 p.] 2023 1743-9760 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010086878 10.1080/17439760.2023.2170273 1743-9760 [F B010086878] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010086878 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2023-03/010086878.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2023-03-08 2026-06-12 fdi:010086878 fre