Prevalence of Imaginary Companions in Children: A Meta-analysis

IF 1.2 4区心理学 Q4 PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL

Merrill-Palmer Quarterly-Journal of Developmental Psychology Pub Date : 2018-08-29 DOI:10.13110/MERRPALMQUAR1982.64.4.0459

Y. Moriguchi, Naoya

引用次数: 12

Abstract

Abstract:Having an imaginary companion (IC) is a fascinating example of children's imaginative and pretend play. However, there are inconsistencies in the reported prevalence of children's ICs. This study examined how culture may affect this prevalence. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess whether the culture, as well as age, assessment method, sex, and birth order, may affect the prevalence of ICs in studies that included children under age 12. The results revealed that culture, as well as assessment method and sex/birth order, may have a significant impact on the prevalence of ICs. Specifically, children in Western cultures were more likely to report invisible friends as compared to children in Japan, but the total prevalence of ICs did not differ across cultures. We illustrate several implications for future research on ICs.

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儿童假想伴侣患病率的Meta分析

摘要：有一个想象中的同伴（IC）是儿童想象力和假装游戏的一个迷人例子。然而，儿童重症监护室的发病率报告存在不一致之处。这项研究考察了文化如何影响这种普遍性。我们进行了一项荟萃分析，以评估在包括12岁以下儿童的研究中，文化、年龄、评估方法、性别和出生顺序是否会影响IC的患病率。结果表明，文化、评估方法和性别/出生顺序可能对IC的患病率产生重大影响。具体而言，与日本儿童相比，西方文化中的儿童更有可能报告看不见的朋友，但不同文化中IC的总患病率没有差异。我们举例说明了对IC未来研究的几个启示。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Merrill-Palmer Quarterly-Journal of Developmental Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL-

CiteScore

1.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： This internationally acclaimed periodical features empirical and theoretical papers on child development and family-child relationships. A high-quality resource for researchers, writers, teachers, and practitioners, the journal contains up-to-date information on advances in developmental research on infants, children, adolescents, and families; summaries and integrations of research; commentaries by experts; and reviews of important new books in development.