We probably don’t need science to tell us that cute animals do wonders for stress, but it’s good to know that it’s a verifiable fact.
In fact, a Japanese study on the “power of kawaii” — ‘cute’ in Japanese — shows that people who looked at photos of cute dogs and cats improved their concentration and work performance by up to 44%.
This is the premise for the Puppy Room set up by University of Lancaster’s student union as part of their Stressed Out Students (SOS) campaign.
With examinations looming, this is a very stressful time of year for students.
The SOS campaign will run for two weeks and feature various events and activities designed to help students destress, such as the Puppy Room, which will run for three hours on May 7th.
For this event, the Guide Dogs UK Charity will be providing the main attraction — puppies — for students to cuddle.
These puppies are all guide dogs who are in training, so it is actually also very beneficial for them to be around many people. They will also be with their handlers at all times.
According to the SOS Facebook page: “These opportunities give the puppies a chance to get used to being around people, which is great for their development and training to be a successful guide dog.”
The organisers have also emphasized that “the welfare of the puppies and safety of students are our top priorities within this project.”
Throughout the event, the puppies will have regular breaks, as well as access to a separate ‘chill out’ room where they can relax if needed.
The number of students allowed inside the Puppy Room is also limited, so prior reservation is required. Students who have booked their slots will be given a maximum of 20 minutes with the puppies.
As of writing, the Puppy Room is fully booked. A minimum donation of £1.50 is also required, which goes straight to the Guide Dogs Charity.
While not common, this type of event has taken place in other schools and universities. Last December, the Therapeutic Paws of Canada sent puppies to Halifax’s Dalhousie University just days before the students’ final exams.
“The timing of this week is perfect,” student Hailey Stewart said. “It’s a stressful week here [at Dalhousie]. You come here, and you forget about all that other work.”
A similar event was also hosted at Acadia University.
According to the researchers of the Kawaii study: “This finding suggests that viewing cute images makes participants behave more deliberately and perform tasks with greater time and care.”
With this much cuteness, it’s definitely top marks for everyone.
