Evaluation of Children’s Discourses Regarding Imaginary Companion: The Case of Türkiye

Elçin Yazıcı Arıcı (), Hasan Kağan Keskin, Stamatios Papadakis and Michail Kalogiannakis
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Elçin Yazıcı Arıcı: Department of Preschool Education, Düzce University, 81700 Duzce, Turkey
Hasan Kağan Keskin: Primary Education Department, Düzce University, 81700 Duzce, Turkey
Stamatios Papadakis: Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymnon, Greece
Michail Kalogiannakis: Department of Preschool Education, University of Crete, 74100 Rethymnon, Greece

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Preschool children’s imaginary companions are a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This article provides information about a qualitative study investigating Turkish children’s statements about their imaginary companions. Forty-six children aged between 48–60 months were interviewed. A phenomenological pattern was used to explore themes in the research. As a result of the research, six themes and 24 categories were created. When the themes were reviewed, it was seen that the children’s imaginary companions were male in terms of gender, clothing, and accessories in terms of appearance characteristics, and happiness in terms of mood characteristics. In addition, considering the thinking status of their imaginary companions, it was determined that they concentrated in the category of entertainment/game, in the category of communication skills in terms of liked/admirable features, and finally in the category of negative behaviour as disliked/unadmirable features. Addressing imaginary companions in children’s lives in different dimensions can contribute to their development.

Keywords: preschool; imaginary companion; phenomenology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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