Children's perceptions of their imaginary companions and the purposes they serve
An exploratory study in the United Kingdom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3111949 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Karen Majors (University of London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2013 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 550-565 |
| Publication date | 2013-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Childhood (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0907-5682 • E-ISSN: 1461-7013 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0907568213476899 |
| OpenAlex | W2322236843 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 23 |
Imaginary companions of school age children are a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This article reports on a qualitative study carried out in the UK investigating British children's perceptions of their imaginary companions. Eight children aged between 5 and 11 years were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore individual and cross-case themes. It was found that imaginary companions provided friendship, playmates and entertainment, enabling children to overcome times of boredom and loneliness. They appeared to provide a level of wish fulfilment for some children. Children's interactions with their imaginary companions provided support when there were problem situations in the children's lives
Boredom · Developmental psychology · Entertainment · Exploratory research · Friendship · Loneliness · Perception · Psychoanalysis · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · The Imaginary · Wish · Child Development and Digital Technology · Child Therapy and Development · Children's Rights and Participation · Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2023 (8) |
| Highly cited | No |