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  • Essay / Fantasy orientation in children - 2008

    Creating a questionnaire to measure fantasy orientation in children is a rather interesting task. We've all heard stories, believed in fairy godmothers, feared monsters and looked forward to Santa Claus. Have you ever wondered when we began to distinguish reality from fantasy and how ceasing to be a child influenced our growth. The aim of the fantasy orientation questionnaire is to explore the same with the help of relevant literature and various scientific researches. This essay begins with a critical discussion of what Fantasy orientation is, drawing significant points from various studies conducted on the subject. He continues to conduct extensive research with a group of 50 preschool and preschool children aged 2 to 5 years old. It presents arguments on the suitability of this questionnaire for measuring fantasy orientation in children in an efficient manner compared to other methods.IntroductionThe ability to distinguish between what is fantasy and what is reality is one of the human cognitive functions the most fundamental; it means an understanding of what is “real” and “not real.” However, some individuals are more oriented toward a greater affinity for the imaginative and creative. This affinity or willingness to lose oneself in fantasy or reach a high level of imagination is what is called fantasy orientation. It is often considered a measure of the extent to which an individual considers themselves to discern between reality and fantasy. Children often observed the confusing boundary between reality and perception (Piaget 1930). Dawkins (1995) argues that children do not only confuse fantasy and perception, but also the tangible and the intangible, drama and reality, from an early age. This influence of children's perception...... middle of article ......Research Digest. Retrieved April 17 from Research Digest website: http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.in/2011/08/fantasy-prone-children-struggle-to.html6. Singer, DG and Singer, JL (1981). Television, imagination, and aggression: A study of preschool children. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.7. Sharon, T. and Woolley, D.J. (2004). Do monsters dream? Young children's understanding of the fantasy/reality distinction. The University of Texas.8. Taylor, M. and Carlson, S. M. (1997). Relations between individual differences in fantasy and theory of mind. Child development. 436-455.9. Wellman, H.M. and Estes, D. (1986). Early understanding of mental entities: These are examinations of childhood realism. Child development. 910-923.10. Woolley, J.D. & Wellman, H.M. (1990). Young children's understanding of realities, non-realities and appearances. Child development. 946–961.