儿童的假想伙伴与其认知、人格和社会性发展的关系

On the Relations between Children's Imaginary Companions and their Cognition,Personality and Sociality

国际上有关假想伙伴的新一轮研究热潮开始于20世纪90年代,研究者在逐步认识到假想伙伴区别于其他形式假装游戏的基础上,开始以假想伙伴作为探究儿童想象性关系功能的"窗口",对假想伙伴的测量方式、有无假想伙伴儿童的发展性差异以及假想伙伴细节性特征的独特作用进行了系统探讨,并在整体上形成了认知、人格和社会性发展三条主线。就认知方面而言,有假想伙伴的儿童更富有想象力。在游戏任务中,他们更善于运用想象来分散自己的注意力,并在耐心等待的能力上表现得更为突出。假想伙伴玩耍随着儿童年龄增长不断抽象化和概括化,这也促进了儿童语言叙述能力的发展。就人格方面而言,儿童在与假想伙伴互动的过程中,逐渐对自我和他人的心理状态加以区分,自我意识不断增强。有假想伙伴的儿童在人格特质上的发展差异集中体现在一种社会指向性上,即个体愿意尽可能地满足他人的内在需求和愿望。就社会性方面而言,假想伙伴与儿童心理理论发展之间存在着积极的联系。假想伙伴对儿童的同伴关系发展呈现出差异化的影响,与假想伙伴平等互动的儿童在社会技能上发展得更好,而且拥有更高的同伴接纳度。有关儿童假想伙伴的研究启示我们在家庭教育方面,父母应当以正确的态度认识和对待儿童以假想伙伴为代表的想象性世界,主动构建亲子关系与儿童假想伙伴玩耍之间的良性互动,并以假想伙伴为中介深入了解儿童的内在心理需求。在幼儿园教育方面,教育工作者应当进一步拓展游戏的内涵,并在重视儿童日常活动性游戏和教学过程性游戏的基础上,对儿童的想象性游戏给予更多的关注;强调和突出以儿童为主体的游戏精神和与游戏相关的活动经验。此外,教师还应善于借助假想伙伴探寻儿童基本生活经验的源点,进行教学材料、指导方式等方面的变革。未来对假想伙伴的研究应当重视深化研究假想伙伴的概念和特点;重视完善和丰富假想伙伴的研究方法;重视开展有关假想伙伴的本土化系列研究。

The international researches of preschool children＇s imaginary companions can be traced back to the beginning of 20th century or even earlier. However, until the end of 20th century, foreign researchers gradually realized that imaginary companion play was obviously distinct from other forms of pretend play. Due to its features, researchers could successfully distinguish the children with and without imaginary companions from nonclinical populations, and explored the unique role of imaginary companion in children＇s early development. The findings indicated that imaginary companion might contribute to children＇s development in a meaningful and differential way, which could help us further understand the influences of imaginary relationship in children＇s micro systems. In terms of cognition, children with imaginary companions are considered as high-fantasy, meaning that they have a predilection for fantasy than their peers. In the game tasks, these children can use their fantasies to make a diversion and show up higher waiting abilities than other children. As the children grow older, imaginary companion play, which is viewed as one of the most complex expressions of play in early childhood, can become more layered or abstract. It facilitates children＇s cognitive development through a number of abstract thought processes. They may have more chances to practice their storytelling skills, which will result in richer narratives. In terms of personality development, children who create imaginary companions are more likely to be familiar with the knowledge that one＇s thoughts and feelings are private, meaning that imaginary companion may facilitate children＇s understanding of the distinction between themselves and others. There is a greater likelihood for them to ascribe more self- knowledge to themselves. As far as personality traits are concerned, while earlier researchers held the opinion that imaginary companions were compensatory for children with personality difficulties or defeats, more recent research evidence indicated that there were more similarities than differences between children with and without imaginary companions. Even in some aspects, they showed more positive characteristics, such as low level of specific fear and anxiety, more benign interactions with adults, and more sharing behaviors during the games. In terms of sociality, children with imaginary companions are more sociable than their peers. Imaginary companions may enhance their social competence and peer relationship by providing extra social rehearsals. As a widespread phenomenon among preschool children, imaginary companion can not only help us build a bridge into children＇s imaginary world and explore the unique role of it in children＇s early development, but also have certain enlightenment function regarding children＇s fariaily education and preschool education.