Did Children Interact With Their Personified Objects During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Masanori Yamaguchi,Yusuke Moriguchi

doi:10.1177/02762366211034402

Masanori Yamaguchi, Yusuke Moriguchi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/02762366211034402

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Abstract

Although previous studies revealed the characteristics of children with imaginary companions, the characteristics of children alone could not explain why some children create and interact with imaginary companions. The current cross-sectional study examined the impact of the situational factors, decreased opportunities to meet and play with real playmate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on the prevalence of imaginary companions. Five hundred sixty caregivers of children aged 2–9 years (half of them were girls) were asked whether their children currently had imaginary companions (personified objects and invisible friends) before (September 2019) and during the pandemic (April 2020). The logistic regression model showed that only the prevalence of personified objects increased during the pandemic, OR = 2.01, 95%CI [1.34, 3.00], even when potential variables were controlled. The results suggest that children more frequently played with their personified objects during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic.

Highlights

Previous studies revealed the characteristics of children with imaginary companions, the characteristics of children alone could not explain why some children create and interact with imaginary companions
This indicated that we found more children with personified objects (POs) during the pandemic than before, OR 1⁄4 2.01, p < .001, [1.34, 3.00]
The model that included all demographic variables showed the prevalence of invisible friends (IFs) was not affected by the pandemic of COVID-19, G2s (1) 1⁄4 0.03, p 1⁄4 .853, R2 < .001 [< .001, .005] (Figure 1, see Table 4)

Summary

Introduction

Previous studies revealed the characteristics of children with imaginary companions, the characteristics of children alone could not explain why some children create and interact with imaginary companions. Other studies showed that children with ICs were outgoing (Roby & Kidd, 2008), liked to play with other children (Mauro, 1991), and were possibly more interested in social interactions than those without ICs (Tahiroglu & Taylor, 2019). These findings indicated that children with ICs can be characterized as being interested in social interaction, are socially competent, and surrounded by friends. We believe that boredom and aloneness can be considered as an important situation, especially for typically developing children It seems that children create and interact with ICs when they want to be supported by or play with someone else.

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