Many young children spend a lot of time with playmates who don’t really exist. And that shouldn’t make parents uncomfortable. The imaginary friend it turns out has survived the invasion of video games and cartoons. A new study shows that at least two-thirds of all children have pretend friends. Researchers discovered that most of these friends hang around longer than previously thought, and there are even signs that the childhood instinct to create character companions doesn’t ever really go away.
Guests:
Dr. Stephanie Carlson, Psychology Professor at Washington University
Dr. Marjorie Taylor, Professor and Head of the Psychology Department at University of Oregon and author of “Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them.”