South Korean study finds puppy videos lower blood pressure and stress

A joint research team from Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and Jeonbuk National University has found that watching puppy videos for 15 minutes can help stabilize blood pressure, pulse, and emotional states. The study, published in ‘Frontiers in Public Health’, focused on 66 office workers.

Researchers utilized the ‘baby schema’ effect—where features like large eyes and round faces trigger instinctive nurturing responses—to design videos that simulate eye contact with puppies. Among participants with elevated blood pressure, systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of 6.65 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure fell by 4.93 mmHg. Additionally, pulse rates decreased by 4.12 beats per minute.

Psychological indicators also showed significant improvement. State anxiety scores (STAI-S) and Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) scores, which measure tension, depression, and anger, both saw notable reductions. While the researchers noted that these videos are not a replacement for medical treatment for hypertension, they suggested that such video-based content could serve as an effective non-pharmacological supplementary tool for managing stress and blood pressure in daily life.