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Boy with his imaginary friend, a bear
Children, young people and families, Cognition and perception, Developmental

Interview with Alison Bourchier

Was there a scary monster under your bed? Did you have an imaginary friend when you were growing up? Angus Smyth spoke to Alison Bourchier about children’s understanding of pretence and reality.

18 April 2001

‘As a child I had an imaginary friend,’ Alison told me, ‘and I remember being completely terrified of the scary monsters I imagined were hiding beneath my bed.’ Common occurrences for many children, but Alison assures me that ‘children get great pleasure from their pretend play’. Evidence suggests that children understand a great deal about pretence and how pretend entities differ from real ones. Children as young as three understand this: a real entity can be seen and touched by themselves and others and will continue to exist even when it is not being thought about.

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