Abstract
Children’s role playing, whether personifying toys or imagining invisible friends, involves imagining others’ minds and internal states. Similarly, anthropomorphism – the attribution of internal states to non-human others (e.g., animals, inanimate nature, or technologies) – also involves imagining others’ minds and internal states. We propose that the imaginative process of simulating and projecting internal states is common to both role play and anthropomorphism. The current study investigated the relation between children’s role play and anthropomorphism. Ninety children (5, 7, and 9 years) were administered Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire – Child Form (IDAQ-CF), comprised of the technology-inanimate nature and animal subscales, and the Role Play Scale, which assessed (a) impersonation of animals, people, and/or machines and (b) imaginary companions (ICs), including invisible friends and personified toys. Results indicated that the imaginative act of impersonating an animal, person, and/or machine was positively related to anthropomorphism, and specifically anthropomorphism of inanimate nature and technology. Second, anthropomorphism of animals was highest amongst children with invisible ICs, followed by those with toy ICs and those who impersonated. Finally, children who frequently engaged with an invisible ICs more readily anthropomorphized in general and technology and inanimate nature in particular relative to all other children. Results are discussed in terms of the differing degrees of imagination involved in anthropomorphism of animals versus technology and inanimate nature.
Highlights
“. . .if she brought home a flower, or a pebble she always brought several flowers or pebbles at the same time so they should have company and not feel lonely” (Piaget, 1929, p. 209)
If young children distinguish between animates and inanimates, how do we understand the numerous instances in which this distinction appears to be blurred, such as when the child brings home several rocks or flowers so that none are lonely?
Significant age differences were not found on the TechnologyNature subscale (p = 0.12), the direction trended towards reduced anthropomorphism of technology and inanimate nature with age
Summary
“. . .if she brought home a flower, or a pebble she always brought several flowers or pebbles at the same time so they should have company and not feel lonely” (Piaget, 1929, p. 209). Referred to as ‘role play,’ these forms of pretense include impersonation of other people, animals, or machines, as well as creation of imaginary companions (ICs), whether a stuffed animal, toy, or an invisible friend (Harris, 2000) In this way, role play is distinct from solitary or joint pretend play involving object substitution (e.g., substituting a banana for a phone) (Taylor and Carlson, 1997; Harris, 2000)
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