Early research on imaginary friends often associated this particular aspect with psychopathology as well as difficulties in distinguishing between reality and fantasy. With time, however, positive attributes of imaginary friends have emerged from different research undertakings. Play and interaction are two significant developmental milestones that majorly influence the growth of a child(Kail, Robert & Cavanaugh, 2018). The environment in which children grow affects them significantly. Based on this, children could personify objects and acquire imaginary playmates that could be people or animals. To a large extent, hence, children with imaginary friends are not psychologically disturbed. Such make-believe aspects reflect cognitive skills as well as language development(Kail, Robert & Cavanaugh, 2018). When children go an extent mile to make their imaginary friends confidants, companions, their figures, among others, they create imaginary interactions that help in the general development of the child.
Early research, conducted in the 1930s expressed concern over the mental state of children with imaginary companions. Subsequently, researchers profoundly believed that such children could not set apart the reality from fantasy (Lydon, 2011). With time, however, researchers concluded that children form such relations because their imaginary friends allow them to act autonomously, unlike real-life companions. Another important research outcome points out that there are many incidences of imaginary companionship for individuals suffering from dissociative identity disorder (DID). Based on the conclusion by researchers that different stages of DID influence the possibility of a child having imaginary friends, it was concluded that having imaginary companionship is a way of coping (Lydon, 2011).
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Although one should not worry when their child has an imaginary friend, there is a need for parents to encourage children to have a balance between real-life and the virtual world. There is also a need for parents to observe their children to ensure that they don’t have underlying issues that influence them to prefer imaginary companions to real life friends.
References
Kail, R. V., & Cavanaugh, J. C. (2018). Human development: A life-span view . Cengage Learning.
Lydon, D. (2011). Imaginary companions: Are they Good for Children?. Student Psychology Journal , 2 , 1-10.
