Individual differences in children’s private speech: The role of imaginary companions

Davis, P.; Meins, E.; Fernyhough, C.

Abstract

Relations between children’s imaginary companion status and their engagement in private speech during free play were investigated in a socially diverse sample of 5-year-olds (N = 148). Controlling for socioeconomic status, receptive verbal ability, total number of utterances, and duration of observation, there was a main effect of imaginary companion status on type of private speech. Children who had imaginary companions were more likely to engage in covert private speech compared with their peers who did not have imaginary companions. These results suggest that the private speech of children with imaginary companions is more internalized than that of their peers who do not have imaginary companions and that social engagement with imaginary beings may fulfill a similar role to social engagement with real-life partners in the developmental progression of private speech.

Citation

Davis, P., Meins, E., & Fernyhough, C. (2013). Individual differences in children’s private speech: The role of imaginary companions. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 116(3), 561-571. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2013.06.010

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jun 19, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 19, 2014
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0022-0965
• Electronic ISSN: 1096-0457
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 116
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 561-571
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2013.06.010
• Keywords: Private speech, Imaginary companions, Play, Internalization, Social interaction, Imagination.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1458489