The Understanding of Everyday Imaginary Objects in Young Children : Do You Believe in Santa Claus?

Abstract

This research focused on the reasoning of young children concerning imaginary. Four and five year olds answered questions about three well known figures : Santa Claus, ghosts, and a Japanese cartoon character named "AnpanMan". Children first responded to behavioral-sensory questions (e.g. "Have you ever seen Santa Claus?", "Can you see Santa Claus?"). Then they gave the reasoning behind their judgements. The two main findings were as follows. First, most children believed in the actual existence of the three imaginary objects. However, while four year olds judged the existence of imaginary objects based on real experiences, five year olds used imaginative reasoning to explain their beliefs.