CHAPTER 6
LECTURE EXTENSION
Preschoolers' Imaginary CompanionsThe text points out that make-believe play may help young children master the distinction between appearance and reality. Imaginary companions are common during the preschool years, and recent evidence suggests that they are associated with advances in the development of make-believe and the understanding that people can hold false beliefs.
Imaginary companions are surprisingly frequent during early childhood. As many as 65 percent of preschoolers have them. In the past, imaginary companions were viewed as an indicator of emotional problems, but research challenges this assumption. Children who create them are more sociable, less shy, and have more real friends (Singer & Singer, 1990). Interestingly, parents are not good informants about children's imaginary companions. About a third of parents whose children have such companions are unaware of the companion's existence.
Recently, Taylor, Cartwright, and Carlson (1993) asked twelve 3- and 4-year-olds to describe the physical appearance of their imaginary companions, to interact with them in the laboratory, and to answer questions about who could see and touch them. For comparison purposes, 15 agemates were questioned about the physical appearance of a real friend, encouraged to pretend the real friend was present in the lab, and asked who could see and touch the friend.
Children easily described their imaginary companions, and the descriptions they provided varied tremendously, including three nonhumans (a ghost, a bird, and a dog) and two toys (a stuffed dog and a doll). Six of the children had to select one companion from two or more of their imaginary friends. Furthermore, the children easily shared their imaginary companions with the experimenter; most stated that both had equal status in the ability to see and touch the companion. Children with imaginary companions were also very willing to telephone them, invite them to the lab, and interact with them on arrival, whereas children asked to pretend a real friend was present were reluctant to do so.
Ratings of the children indicated those with imaginary companions appeared more involved in pretending. Also, they were more likely to engage in make-believe in a free-play session and were advanced in object substitutions when performing pretend actions. Perhaps imaginary companions have a variety of cognitive and emotional benefits because they enhance make-believe play.
Singer, D. G., & Singer, J. L. (1990). The house of make-believe. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Taylor, M., Cartwright, B. S., & Carlson, S. M. (1993). A developmental investigation of children's imaginary companions. Developmental Psychology, 29, 276-285.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
Demonstrating Preoperational Children's Understanding of Appearance Versus RealityTo illustrate young children's ability to distinguish appearance from reality, show a preschool-age child a male and a female doll. This task works best if the dolls look stereotypically male and female, such as having a female doll with a dress and long hair. Ask the child to tell you which one is the boy and which one is the girl. Also, discuss with the child whether the boy doll could hold male and female stereotypical jobs such as a nurse, a secretary, a fireman, a carpenter, and the President. Many young preschoolers will tell you, for example, that the boy doll could be the President or a fireman but not a nurse. Then take the dress off of the girl doll and put it on the boy doll, and ask the child, "Is this still a boy? Why or why not?" Also, reask the child the questions about the types of jobs that this doll could now have (for example, "Could he now be President?"; "Could he now be a nurse?").
Typical Drawings of School-Age Children
Ask students what features make these drawings typical of the artistic works of a school-age child.
NOTE: It will be of interest to you and your students that the artist is your textbook's author at age 8.
