In the past, having an imaginary companion was often interpreted as evidence that a child was having difficulty making real friends or was experiencing some sort of psychological distress. The results of recent research by myself and others show that these kinds of concerns are unwarranted. Imaginary companions are surprisingly common and they play a healthy role in children's cognitive and emotional development. In this talk, I will describe imaginary companions and some of the characteristics of the children who create them. In addition, I will discuss adult forms of fantasy behavior and present the results of recent research investigating the relationship between adult fiction writers and the characters they create for their novels.

Marjorie Taylor is Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon. She is the author of "Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them" (1999, Oxford University Press).