Originally used to represent the false belief that one is being watched and evaluated by others, David Elkind proposed that construction of an imaginary audience during early adolescence was a form of “adolescent egocentrism,” which he saw as a natural outgrowth of the transition to Piaget’s formal-operational stage of cognitive development. Adolescent egocentrism is reduced
Imaginary friends are a charming part of early childhood and beyond. Between one half and two thirds of children create such friends, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some children create imaginary companions that are ordinary playmates with common names. Other companions have unusual qualities, like the ability to fly or magical eyes
Imaginary thinking occurs when the contents of our thoughts escape the boundaries of the here and now, such as when we reflect on the past or imagine the future. Sometimes the content of imaginary thinking is accurate or realistic, but frequently our thoughts go beyond what is true or likely as we contemplate fictional worlds