Knowra Imaginary friend Imaginary friend An imagined person or character whom a child treats as a companion, often involving it in conversation or play. Such companions may be invisible or represented by a toy.
Pretend play : Play in which people, objects, or situations are treated as if they were other than they are. Imaginary companions often enter stories and roles created during pretend play.
Sociodramatic play : Collaborative pretend play in which participants enact roles and organize a shared scenario. A child can use an imaginary companion to extend role-play even when playing alone.
Child psychology : The study and practice concerned with children's mental processes, emotions, and behavior. Psychologists place imaginary companions within broader patterns of development and wellbeing.
Hallucination : A perception-like experience that occurs without a corresponding external stimulus. An imaginary friend is generally understood as imagined play, not necessarily a perception experienced as externally real.
Anthropomorphism : The attribution of human traits, intentions, or feelings to nonhuman beings or objects. Children may give an imaginary companion a distinct personality and human-like motives.
Narrative identity : The evolving sense of self shaped by the stories people tell about their lives. Stories about a companion can help organize a child's experiences and self-understanding.
Play therapy : A therapeutic approach that uses play to help children express experiences and emotions. A child's invented companion may appear in play and offer material for careful therapeutic exploration.
Psychosis : A condition involving impaired reality testing, which can include delusions or hallucinations. Imaginary companions alone do not establish psychosis; distress, impairment, and other symptoms alter the clinical picture.
Theory of mind : The ability to understand that oneself and others have mental states that can differ. Imagining a companion's separate thoughts can involve representing another mind.
Executive function : Mental processes that support planning, attention, working memory, and control of behavior. Maintaining a companion's imagined traits and role can draw on planning and working memory.
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