Imaginary Companionships in Childhood and Their Impacts on Child Development

Abstract

In the early childhood period, the child gets to know himself and the world through play. Although these games are usually set up with a real friend, sometimes they also include imaginary companions. These companions can sometimes be imaginary human characters, and sometimes toys and objects attributed to human characteristics. Children who have imaginary companions may differ from other children in terms of age, gender, birth order and developmental characteristics. In addition, imaginary companionships in early childhood play an important role in children's social development, emotion regulation and their sense of competence. In this study, it is aimed to discuss the characteristics of children with imaginary companions and the effects of imaginary friends on the development of the child. Key words; early childhood, imaginary companion, play, social development, competence.

Keywords

• early childhood
• imaginary companion
• play
• social development
• competence.

Çocukluk Döneminde Hayali Arkadaşlıklar ve Hayali Arkadaşların Çocuğun Gelişimindeki Yeri

Öz

Erken çocukluk, çocuğun kendini ve dünyayı oyun yoluyla tanıdığı gelişim dönemidir. Çocuk bu dönemde, oyunlarını genellikle gerçek bir arkadaşla kursa da kimi zaman hayali arkadaşlar çocukların oyunlarında gözlemlen bir durumdur. Hayali arkadaşlar bazen hayali olarak oluşturulmuş insan karakterler, bazen ise insan özellikleri atfedilmiş oyuncak ve nesneler olabilmektedir. Hayali arkadaşları olan çocuklar, diğer çocuklara göre yaş, cinsiyet, doğum sırası ve gelişimsel özellikler bakımından farklılaşabilmektedir. Ayrıca erken çocukluk döneminde hayali arkadaşlar, çocukların sosyal gelişim, duygu düzenleme ve yeterlilik duygularında önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışmada, hayali arkadaş, hayali arkadaşları olan çocukların özellikleri ve hayali arkadaşın çocuğun gelişimi üzerindeki etkilerine ilişkin alanyazında yer alan bilgilerin taranarak ele alınması amaçlanmıştır. Anahtar sözcükler; erken çocukluk, hayali arkadaş, oyun, sosyal gelişim, yeterlik

Anahtar Kelimeler

• erken çocukluk
• hayali arkadaş
• oyun
• sosyal gelişim

References

1. Ames LB, Learned J (1946) Imaginary companions and related phenomena. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 69:147–167.
2. Avcı A (2012) Kuramsal bir yaklaşım: Ethem Baran’ın Yarım romanı. The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 5(7): 117-136
3. Bach S (1971). Notes on some imaginary companions. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 26, 159–171.
4. Bender L, Vogel BF (1941) Imaginary companions of children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 11:56–66.
5. Benson R M, Pryor DB (1973) When friends fall out: Developmental interference with the function of some imaginary companions. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 21, 457-473.
6. Bouldin P, Pratt C (1999) Characteristics of preschool and school-age children with imaginary companions. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 160: 397–410.
7. Bouldin P, Pratt C (2002) A systematic assessment of the specific fears, anxiety level, and temperament of children with imaginary companions. Australian Journal of Psychology, 54:79–85.
8. Bukowski W, Hoza B (1989) Popularity and friendship: Issues in theory, measurement, and outcome. In Berndt T, Ladd G (Eds.), Peer Relationships in Child Development (pp. 15–45). New York: Wiley.

9. Burbach F, Roberts G, Clinch C, Wise N (2014) Exploring the links between childhood imaginary companions and auditory hallucinations. Psychosis, 6(1), 38-49.
10. Caplan F, Caplan T (1973) The power of play. New York: Doubleclay.
11. Gleason T (2002) Social provisions of real and imaginary relationships in early childhood. Developmental Psychology, 38:979–992.
12. Gleason T (2004) Imaginary companions and peer acceptance. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 28: 204–209.
13. Gleason T (2013) Imaginary relationships. In M. Taylor (Ed.), Handbook of the development of imagination (pp. 251–271). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
14. Gleason TR (2017) The psychological significance of play with imaginary companions in early childhood. Learning & Behavior, 45(4): 432-440.
15. Gleason TR, Hohmann LM (2006) Concepts of real and imaginary friendships in early childhood. Social Development, 15(1): 128-144.
16. Gleason T, Kalpidou M (2014) Imaginary companions and young children’s coping and competence. Social Development, 23: 820– 839.
17. Gleason T, Sebanc A, Hartup W (2000) Imaginary companions of preschool children. Developmental Psychology, 36: 419–428.
18. Gopnik A (2002) Bumping into Mr. Ravioli: A theory of busyness, and its hero. New Yorker, 80–84.
19. Harter S, Chao C (1992) The role of competence in children’s creation of imaginary friends. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 38: 350–363.
20. Hartup W (1992) Peer relations in early and middle childhood. In VV Hasselt, M Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of Social Development: A Lifespan Perspective (pp. 257–281). New York: Plenum Press.
21. Henricks TS (2015) Play as experience. American Journal of Play, 8: 18–49.
22. Hoff EV, Carlsson I (2002) Shining lights or lone wolves? Creativity and self-image in primary school children. Journal of Creative Behavior, 36: 17–41.
23. Howes C (1983) Patterns of friendship. Child Development, 54: 1041–1053.
24. Howes C (1996) The earliest friendships. In W Bukowski, A Newcomb, W. Hartup (Eds.), The Company They Keep: Friendship in Childhood and Adolescence (pp. 66–86). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25. Hurlock EB, Burstein M (1932) The imaginary playmate: A questionnaire study. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 41: 380–392.
26. Kastenbaum R, Fox L (2008) Do imaginary companions die? An exploratory study. Omega, 56: 123–152.
27. Martindale C (1989) Personality, situation, and creativity. In J. A. Glover & R. R. Ronning (Eds.), Handbook of creativity. London: Plenum.
28. Manosevitz M, Prentice N, Wilson F et al. (1973) Individual and family correlates of imagi- nary companions in preschool children. Developmental Psychology, 8: 72–79.
29. Masih V (1978) Imaginary play companions of children. In R Weizman, R Brown, P Levinson, P Taylor (Eds.), Piagetian Theory and the Helping Professions (pp. 136–144). Los Angeles: University of Southern California Press.
30. Murphy LBE (1962) The widening world of childhood. New York: Basic Books.
31. Myers WA (1979) Imaginary companions in childhood and adult creativity. Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 48: 292–307.
32. Nagera H (1969) The imaginary companion: Its significance for ego development and conflict solution. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 24: 165–196.
33. Ross H, Lollis S (1989) A social relations analysis of toddler peer relationships. Child Development, 60: 1082–1091. Rubin KH, Fein GG, Vandenberg B (1983) Play. In EM Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology, Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (4th ed.). New York: Wiley.
34. Schaefer CE (1969) Imaginary companions and creative adolescents. Developmental Psychology, 1: 747–749.
35. Seiffge-Krenke I (2000) Ein sehr spezieller Freund: Der Imaginaere Gefaehrte [A very special friend: The imaginary companion]. Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie, 49: 689–702.
36. Singer DG, Singer JL (1992) The house of make-believe: Children’s play and the developing imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
37. Smith GJW, Carlsson IM (2001) CFT: Creative functioning test. Lund, Sweden: Department of psychology.
38. Somers JU, Yawkey TD (1984) Imaginary companions: Contributions of creative and intellectual abilities of young children. Journal of Creative Behavior, 18: 77–89.
39. Sperling OE (1954) An imaginary companion, representing a prestage of the superego. Psychoanalytic Study of the Child, 9: 252–258.
40. Svendsen M (1934) Children’s imaginary companions. Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry, 32: 985–999.
41. Taylor M (1999) Imaginary companions and the children who create them. New York: Oxford University Press.
42. Taylor M, Carlson SM (1997) The relation between individual differences in fantasy and theory of mind. Child Development, 68: 436–455.
43. Taylor M, Carlson SM, Maring BL, Gerow L, Charley CM et al. (2004) The characteristics and correlates of fantasy in school-age children: imaginary companions, impersonation, and social understanding. Developmental psychology, 40(6): 1173.
44. Taylor M, Hulette AC, Dishion TJ (2010) Longitudinal outcomes of young high-risk adolescents with imaginary companions. Developmental psychology, 46(6): 1632.
45. White R (1959) Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Re- view, 66: 297—333.
46. Wickes FG (1966) The inner world of childhood (rev. Ed.) New York: Appleton Century.
47. Vygotsky LS (1967) Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet Psychology, 5: 6–18.
48. Vostrovsky C (1895) A study of imaginary companions. Education, 15: 393–398.