Graduation Year

2015

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Reader 1

Jennifer Ma

Reader 2

Kevin Carlson

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2015 Carolyn M. Lasch

Abstract

A few studies have demonstrated differences in various personality attributes and creative abilities in children with imaginary companions. This study examined how recalled childhood engagement with an imaginary companion correlates with adult personality and creativity measures. It was hypothesized that creation of childhood imaginary companions would be positively correlated with adult creativity, but that this relationship would be mediated by certain personality attributes such as openness to experiences and extraversion. Other details of the imaginary companion experiences were also investigated. Two hundred and forty-six participants were recruited online to answer questions related to their personality and creativity, as well as any remembered imaginary companion experiences. Results indicated that the presence of a childhood imaginary companion was related to an individual’s openness to experience, but that the roles an imaginary companion played for its creator related to adult personality attributes more. These results suggest that further analyses of different roles and types of imaginary companions can help further explore why certain types of imaginary companions are created, and how their presence may impact developmental processes that influence their creators’ personality and creativity in adulthood.

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