- THE BEST FRIEND YOU EVER HAD DEPARTMENT -

Researchers Take On Imaginary Playmates -- For Real

A peek into one of the most intriguing childhood mysteries reveals that imaginary playmates are a staple of early development and persist well into the school years -- later than researchers once thought.

"I'm beginning to think it never goes away," said Marjorie Taylor, head of psychology at the University of Oregon and a leading researcher on children's pretend play. "What I think is it morphs into a different form."

Taylor and University of Washington researcher Stephanie Carlson explored the hidden world of imaginary companions in a study that appears in the current issue of the journal Developmental Psychology.

"The phenomenon of the imaginary friend is really misunderstood," Taylor said. "People thought it was rare -- it's not. People thought it was a red flag -- it's not."

In fact, previous studies have shown that kids who invent imaginary friends -- whether invisible beings or personified toys -- tend to have better verbal skills and better social understanding. But a lack of such pals is OK, too.

"There are lots of ways to express creativity," Taylor said.

When she and Carlson launched the study about 10 years ago, they expected only 1 in 3 preschoolers would have made-up friends. Their goal was to learn, in a follow-up several years later, how those characters drop out of children's lives.

Instead they found that by age 7, nearly two-thirds of children had had at least one imaginary friend.

Not only did fantasy friends persist after age 3 or 4, they sometimes debuted after the child reached school age.

Fabulous fakes come in wild and varied guises -- evidence that pop culture hasn't totally hijacked young children's imaginations.

One child reported having a companion named Rose -- an invisible, 9-year-old squirrel.

Another, a 7-year-old boy, described his pal "Skateboard Guy" as an invisible 11-year-old who lived in his pocket and popped up at boring moments to do tricks on his skateboard.

Other colorful (if invisible) friends included "Fake Rachel," a made-up version of a real friend named Rachel; "Sergeant Savage," a 100-year-old, sometimes-invisible G.I. Joe doll; and "Elephant," a 7-inch-high pachyderm that wore a tank top and shorts and sometimes was mean.

Some buddies are more naughty than nice. Children complained that some "friends" bothered them, hit them or wouldn't go away when they tried to read.

"One child said the friend put yogurt in her hair," said Carlson, an assistant professor of psychology.

Although make-believe was long considered the realm of little girls, it's clear that both sexes engage in fantasy play, with some gender differences. Preschool boys are more likely to take on imaginary roles, especially powerful, action-filled roles, than to play with imaginary friends. By age 7, however, the gender difference fades.

One girl, now 7, inherited her imaginary friend, "Margarine," from her older brother. Margarine first appeared as a helper on her brother's first, scary day of preschool. The boy talked so convincingly about his little mentor, his mother thought the girl was real -- until she tried to find Margarine's mother to thank her.

Margarine became a part of family lore and later followed the boy's younger sister to school.

Some kids have as many as 13 imaginary friends at one time or another, contrary to the "Calvin and Hobbes" image of a single, faithful make-believe pal.

"Our research suggested it's more of a revolving door," Carlson said. While some pretend friends fade quietly away, others "suffer this horrible demise -- like getting run over," she said.

This kind of pretend play gives young children a chance to mull over the confusing issues of life -- a process that seems to continue in different forms as people mature.

In another, as-yet-unpublished study, Taylor found kids as old as 12 with imaginary playmates. She cited a German researcher who thinks teen diarists experience a similar phenomenon when they address their musings to a specific person -- a Dear Diary writ large -- who takes on the guise of a friend.

Taylor recently interviewed about 50 adult novelists, including mystery writer Sue Grafton, to see if the same kind of relationship exists between them and their characters.

Nearly all reported that, at some point, their character seemed to come to life and be outside their control.

"We don't really know what happens down the road (with imaginary friends)," Taylor said, "but we suspect it's associated with later creativity."

Most kids, sooner or later, come to realize their make-believe buddies are not of this world.

In fact, Carlson said, some kids grew concerned about the researchers' grasp of reality during probing interviews.

"I've had several children sort of pull me aside during the interview and say, 'You know it's pretend, right?' "