Children’s perceptions of their imaginary companions and the purposes they serve: An exploratory study in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Imaginary companions of school age children are a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This article reports on a qualitative study carried out in the UK investigating British children’s perceptions of their imaginary companions. Eight children aged between 5 and 11 years were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore individual and cross-case themes. It was found that imaginary companions provided friendship, playmates and entertainment, enabling children to overcome times of boredom and loneliness. They appeared to provide a level of wish fulfilment for some children. Children’s interactions with their imaginary companions provided support when there were problem situations in the children’s lives.