TY - JOUR
T1 - The characteristics and correlates of fantasy in school-age children
T2 - Imaginary companions, impersonation, and social understanding
AU - Taylor, Marjorie
AU - Carlson, Stephanie M.
AU - Mating, Bayta L.
AU - Gerow, Lynn
AU - Charley, Carolyn M.
PY - 2004/11
Y1 - 2004/11
N2 - Past research with 152 preschoolers found that having an imaginary companion or impersonating an imaginary character was positively correlated with theory of mind performance. Three years later, 100 children from this study were retested to assess the developmental course of play with imaginary companions and impersonation of imaginary characters and how these types of role play were related to emotion understanding, self-perception, and personality. The results showed that school-age children interact with imaginary companions and impersonate imaginary characters as much as preschoolers. Overall, 65% of children up to the age of 7 had imaginary companions at some point during their lives. School-age children who did not impersonate scored lower on emotion understanding. Theory of mind at age 4 predicted emotion understanding 3 years later.
AB - Past research with 152 preschoolers found that having an imaginary companion or impersonating an imaginary character was positively correlated with theory of mind performance. Three years later, 100 children from this study were retested to assess the developmental course of play with imaginary companions and impersonation of imaginary characters and how these types of role play were related to emotion understanding, self-perception, and personality. The results showed that school-age children interact with imaginary companions and impersonate imaginary characters as much as preschoolers. Overall, 65% of children up to the age of 7 had imaginary companions at some point during their lives. School-age children who did not impersonate scored lower on emotion understanding. Theory of mind at age 4 predicted emotion understanding 3 years later.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=7544243388&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=7544243388&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0012-1649.40.6.1173
DO - 10.1037/0012-1649.40.6.1173
M3 - Article
C2 - 15535765
AN - SCOPUS:7544243388
SN - 0012-1649
VL - 40
SP - 1173
EP - 1187
JO - Developmental psychology
JF - Developmental psychology
IS - 6
ER -