Parental behaviour and children's creation of imaginary companions: A longitudinal study

Motoshima, Yuko; Shinohara, Ikuko; Todo, Naoya; Moriguchi, Yusuke

doi:10.1080/17405629.2014.932278

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In terms of IFs, 31 (3.9%) and 43 children (4.3%) had an IF currently and in the past, respectively. The relative significance of POs compared to IFs in Japanese children is consistent with the results in previous studies (Motoshima et al, ). The mean number of POs was 3.24 (range: 1–10).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…In the present study, we collected data from a large sample of a wide age range of Japanese children. Descriptive statistics revealed that the data in this sample were consistent with previous Asian studies, showing that IFs are relatively rare and POs are relatively prevalent in Japanese children compared to Western children (Moriguchi & Shinohara, ; Motoshima et al, ). The results suggest that socio‐cultural contexts may affect children's imaginative play.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…The questions were derived from our offline questionnaire (Motoshima et al, ). First, an IC was defined as a very vivid imaginary character who does not actually exist but is treated as real by the child and who interacts with the child during his or her play and daily activities.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this regard, some researchers have addressed the effect of culture on ICs (Motoshima, Shinohara, Todo, & Moriguchi, ; Taylor & Carlson, ). Specifically, research from Asia, such as Japan and China, has reported that IFs are relatively rare in Asian children, whereas POs are relatively prevalent (Lin, Fu, Wan, Zhou, & Xu, ; Moriguchi, Sakata, Ishibashi, & Ishikawa, ; Moriguchi & Shinohara, ; Moriguchi, Shinohara, & Ishibashi, ; Motoshima et al, ). The sample size was relatively small (at most, N = 160), and the age range of the children was relatively narrow (e.g., 3–6 years) in previous studies.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of imaginary companions in Japanese children

Moriguchi

Todo

2017

Int J Psychol

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Having an imaginary companion (IC) is an example of children's pretend play. However, most research regarding children's ICs is from Western cultures. In this study, the prevalence of ICs was assessed among Japanese children (2- to 9-year-old children, N = 800). The developmental (age), biological (sex), and environmental (birth order) effects on Japanese children's ICs were also assessed. Moreover, whether IC status can be an indicator of fantasy orientation in Japanese children was examined. The results revealed that the prevalence of the invisible friend was relatively rare, but the personified object was prevalent in Japanese children. Age and sex, but not birth order, significantly affected the prevalence of ICs in Japan. Moreover, IC status significantly indicated children's fantasy orientation. The results suggest that the characteristics of Japanese children's ICs are partly different from those in Western children. Social-cultural contexts can affect this difference.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prevalence of imaginary companions in Japanese children

Moriguchi

Todo

2017

Int J Psychol

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“…In the current research, we compared the cognitive characteristics of agent perception in children with and without an IC. It has been shown that children with and without an IC do not differ in personality (Mauro, ; Motoshima, Shinohara, Todo, & Moriguchi, ; Taylor, ), fantasy/reality distinction (Taylor et al, ) and other cognitive abilities (Deniz Tahiroglu, Mannering, & Taylor, ). Nevertheless, research has consistently shown that children with an IC have better socio‐cognitive abilities than children without an IC.…”

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confidence: 99%

Agent Perception in Children with and Without Imaginary Companions

Moriguchi

Shinohara

Ishibashi

2015

Infant and Child Development

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This study examined whether children with and without imaginary companions differed in their attributions of agency to inanimate objects. In Study 1, preschool children were shown animation movies in which two geometric figures moved with systematic interaction or randomly. Then, children were asked about biological, emotional and cognitive properties of the figures. The results revealed that children with imaginary companions were more likely to attribute biological properties to the geometric figures that moved randomly compared to children without imaginary companions, but children with and without imaginary companions did not differ in their attributions of cognitive and emotional properties. In Study 2, children were asked about the biological, psychological and perceptual properties of a puppet and a human. Results showed that children with and without imaginary companions did not show the differences in the biological and psychological attributions. Results are discussed in terms of children's agent perception systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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