Reconceptualizing Imaginary Friends
Interdisciplinary Approaches for Understanding Invisible Companions
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22124227 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kate Adams (0000-0002-3292-0966, Leeds Trinity University), Emma Stanford (0000-0003-0681-4104, Leeds Trinity University), Harpreet Singh (0000-0002-8001-4191, Leeds Trinity University) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 32-49 |
| Publication date | 2022-10-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Childhood Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2371-4107 • E-ISSN: 2371-4115 |
| Publisher | University of Victoria Libraries (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.18357/jcs202220569 |
| OpenAlex | W4306377349 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 18 |
Imaginary friends or invisible companions are common features of cross-cultural childhoods. Research is primarily located in developmental psychology, where invisible companions are considered part of imaginary play. We argue for a reconceptualization of the core phenomenon, to one of regularly interacting with a person who is not normally perceptible to others, instead of uncritically adopting the dominant Euro-Western ontology of imagination. Analyzing the central experience through other branches of psychology, anthropology, religion, and spirituality shows that different fields are potentially discussing the same phenomenon, albeit obscured by disciplinary boundaries. We outline some implications of this new approach for the development of childhood studies
Discipline · Epistemology · Phenomenon · Psychoanalysis · Social science · Sociology · Spirituality · The Imaginary · Child and Animal Learning Development · Early Childhood Education and Development · Philosophy · Psychology · Religious Education and Schools
Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them
Retrospective spiritual narratives
Mental Health and the Paranormal
Can “sense of presence” experiences in bereavement be conceptualised as spiritual phenomena
Childhood Studies and child psychology
Disciplinary domains
Concepts of Real and Imaginary Friendships in Early Childhood
Continuing Bonds in Bereavement
Ghosts, Meaning, and Faith
Imaginary companions of preschool children
Twenty-First-Century American Ghosts
Encountering the Supernatural
Children's perceptions of their imaginary companions and the purposes they serve
Tracing the contribution of childhood studies
Are Children with Imaginary Playmates and Children Said to Remember Previous Lives Cross-Culturally Comparable Categories
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |