Adult report of childhood imaginary companions and adversity relates to concurrent prodromal psychosis symptoms

Davis, Paige E.; Webster, Lisa; Fernyhough, Charles; Ralston, Kevin; Kola‐Palmer, Susanna

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.046

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…These findings partly explain previous studies suggesting the relation between having childhood IC and reporting hallucination-like experiences in adults (Davis et al, 2019;Fernyhough et al, 2007;Fernyhough et al, 2019), as is shown in this study that having IC in childhood predispose adolescents to higher schizotypy scores. This effect was seen among all IC types (invisible, personified object, and impersonation) and without gender moderation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…To date, no studies have directly investigated the relation between having childhood ICs and scoring higher on schizotypy inventories among adolescents. However, similar studies demonstrated the relation between having ICs in childhood and reporting prodromal psychosis symptoms in adults (Davis et al, 2019). This study aimed to find, if any, differences between the two groups of adolescents (with childhood IC and without childhood IC) in scores of schizotypy dimensions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…This type of normative imaginative play provide children with skills such as more advanced theory of mind (Giménez-Dasí et al, 2014;Taylor & Carlson, 1997) and greater positive adjustment in high-risk pre-adolescents (Taylor et al, 2010). Indeed, prevalence rates of children having ICs, 13 to 65 percent, emphasize the normality of this phenomenon (Davis et al, 2019;Pearson, 1998;Svendsen, 1934;Taylor et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Childhood imaginary companion and schizotypy in adolescents and adults

Zarei¹,

Pourshahbaz²,

Poshtmashhadi³

2021

Preprint

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Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of childhood Imaginary Companion (IC) in schizotypy levels of adolescents within the framework of the Hierarchical Taxonomy Of Psychopathology (HiTOP).Method: Subjects were 96 adolescents (15 to 18 years old) voluntarily participating via either e-questionnaires on a website (N=56) or pen-paper method (N=40). Participants (61 females) were grouped based on the status of their childhood IC (with or without). Schizotypy dimensions scores were compared between these two groups. Thought Problems and Withdrawn/Depressed scores of ASEBA-YSR questionnaire were used as two scales to measure Thought Disorder and Detachment spectra of HiTOP model. Scores of these two spectra were compared between IC and non-IC groups. These two spectra were also correlated with Unusual Experiences (UnEx) and Introvertive Anhedonia (IntAn) dimensions of O-LIFE schizotypy inventory. Data collection was administered using a researcher-made questionnaire for IC status, Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE) for schizotypy dimensions, and Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment-Youth Self-Report (ASEBA-YSR) for Thought Disorder and Detachment spectra of HiTOP model.Results: UnEx dimension and overall schizotypy score of IC group were higher than non-IC group. There is positive correlation between UnEx dimension and Thought disorder spectrum.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Childhood imaginary companion and schizotypy in adolescents and adults

Zarei¹,

Pourshahbaz²,

Poshtmashhadi³

2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This study, like Davis et al (2018) was based only on retrospective parent report which comes with some inherent issues. The retrospective nature does not take into account that ICs can be forgotten by parents ( Davis et al, 2019 ) and the parent report means that the study loses the child’s voice along with ecological validity. One issue specific to this study was that parents completed the questionnaire more quickly than anticipated.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autistic children who create imaginary companions: Evidence of social benefits

Davis

Slater

Marshall

et al. 2022

Autism

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Past research shows that autistic children can and do create imaginary companions (ICs), and that these ICs resemble those that neurotypical children create. Neurotypical children creating ICs have been found to have significantly more developed theory of mind (ToM) and social understanding among other enhanced social cognitive skills. The study set out to determine if this finding applies to autistic children. Parents of 124 (38 female) autistic children, ages from 5 to –12 years old, completed questionnaires evaluating communication, social understanding, and social skills. Children with ICs had significantly higher ToM and social skills scores regardless of their communication abilities. Findings suggest that there is a variability in ToM and social skills in autistic children in reference to an IC play profile. Results are discussed in terms of direction of causality and lab-based investigations. Lay abstract Research on neurotypical children with imaginary friends has found that those with imaginary friends have better social skills and are more able to think about how other people’s minds work compared to children without imaginary friends. Research shows that some autistic children also create imaginary friends. This article is the first to look at whether or not autistic children with imaginary friends have stronger social skills and an improved ability to think about others’ minds than those without imaginary friends. We asked parents to report about their children aged 5 to 12. Finding almost half reported their child had an imaginary friend, a much larger number than previous research with younger children. Our findings also suggested that autistic children with imaginary friends were better able to understand others’ minds and had stronger social skills than their peers without imaginary friends. The children’s language ability did not influence this. The findings of this study add to the evidence that with respect to the creation imaginary friends and their potential benefits, the play profiles of autistic children are similar to the general population. It also provides more evidence that the understanding of others’ minds is not all or nothing in autism and gives reason for researchers to investigate whether the causes of these differences are the same or different for autistic children.

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“…One explanation for these opposing findings is the recruitment of samples from outpatient clinics and without control groups in earlier studies (Taylor, 1999). Indeed, prevalence rates of children having ICs, 13 to 65 %, emphasize the normality of this phenomenon (Davis et al, 2019;Pearson, 1998;Svendsen, 1934;Taylor et al, 2004). Moreover, research into personality characteristics and behavioral correlates of IC play demonstrated a range of positive attributes.…”

Section: P a G E 1 6 0 P A G E 1 6mentioning

confidence: 99%

Childhood Imaginary Companion and Schizotypy in Adolescents and Adults

2022

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Objective: This study evaluated the association of Childhood Imaginary Companion (CIC) status and schizotypy levels of adolescents and adults within the framework of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP). Method: The sample included 255 Iranian adolescents and adults, grouped according to their CIC status, who responded mostly via e-questionnaires on a website. Schizotypy dimensions were compared between these two groups. Two measures compatible with the HiTOP model were also evaluated both in relation to the short scale of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (sO-LIFE) schizotypy dimensions and the CIC status of participants; one scale used exclusively with adolescents (i.e., the Achenbach System of Empirically-Based Assessment-Youth Self-Report [ASEBA-YSR]), and another with adults (i.e., the NEO-Five Factor Inventory [NEO-FFI]). Results: Scores on the unusual experiences (UnEx) the impulsive nonconformity (ImpNon) dimensions, and the total score of the sO-LIFE were higher for the CIC group. For adolescents, the UnEx dimension and the Thought Problems subscale of the ASEBA-YSR correlated. Scores on three subscales of the ASEBA-YSR (i.e., Thought Problems, Obsessive-Compulsive Problems, and PTSD Problems) were significantly higher for the CIC group. For adults, the neuroticism domain of the NEO-FFI correlated strongly with total score of the sO-LIFE and the cognitive disorganization (CogDis) dimension. This domain of the NEO-FFI was the only one in which CIC adults scored higher than the NIC group. Conclusion: CIC in adolescents and adults is associated with a set of schizotypy dimensions in line with the concept of the “happy schizotype.”

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Adult report of childhood imaginary companions and adversity relates to concurrent prodromal psychosis symptoms

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

Childhood imaginary companion and schizotypy in adolescents and adults

Childhood imaginary companion and schizotypy in adolescents and adults

Autistic children who create imaginary companions: Evidence of social benefits

Childhood Imaginary Companion and Schizotypy in Adolescents and Adults

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