Department of Psychology and Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
J Exp Child Psychol. 2013 Nov;116(3):561-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jecp.2013.06.010. Epub 2013 Aug 24.
Relations between children's imaginary companion status and their engagement in private speech during free play were investigated in a socially diverse sample of 5-year-olds (N=148). Controlling for socioeconomic status, receptive verbal ability, total number of utterances, and duration of observation, there was a main effect of imaginary companion status on type of private speech. Children who had imaginary companions were more likely to engage in covert private speech compared with their peers who did not have imaginary companions. These results suggest that the private speech of children with imaginary companions is more internalized than that of their peers who do not have imaginary companions and that social engagement with imaginary beings may fulfill a similar role to social engagement with real-life partners in the developmental progression of private speech.
在一个社会多样化的 5 岁儿童样本（N=148）中，研究了儿童想象伙伴状态与自由游戏中私人言语参与之间的关系。控制社会经济地位、接受性言语能力、总话语数和观察时间后，想象伙伴状态对私人言语类型有显著影响。有想象伙伴的儿童比没有想象伙伴的儿童更有可能进行内隐私人言语。这些结果表明，有想象伙伴的儿童的私人言语比没有想象伙伴的儿童的私人言语更内化，与想象中的存在进行社会互动可能在私人言语的发展进程中发挥与与现实生活中的伙伴进行社会互动相似的作用。
