7-3-I-Search-Kats

= = = The Reality Behind Make-Believe = by Kats For a look at my blog on make-believe, [|click here]. When I first wrote my I Am Wondering About blog on make-believe, I was really curious to see the real reasons behind make-believe. I was wondering about why my baby was so quick to believe in the Tooth Fairy, while I know it's nothing more than a story. I wanted to know what the psychology of make-believe is. I wanted to know what it is, why we come up with it, why children are so quick to believe while adults laugh about it, things of that nature. So I began to look things up online and that was when I really became interested in my topic. There were many books on the subject to choose from, and I ended up picking two of the most interesting to read. I wanted to have an interview with either a psychology professor or a child pyschologist, people who are experts in that field. Make-believe has always fascinated me because I love finding out about the human mind and how it works. Writing this I-Search was helpful to me because now I know a lot more on what's really going on in our brains when we hear stories.

When I began writing this I-Search, I realized I needed to clarify what make-believe is. Make-believe is our imagination. Children have a huge imagination- a lot of people think kids have way more imagination and creatvitiy than most adults. When I mean imagination, I mean becoming a fiefighter or a princess. Transforming into something you know you truly aren't. Wearing pillowcases as wedding dresses. Running with your arms out becuase you're a plane. Adding sound effects to your clashing pencils because they're actually light sabers. That is the imagination most commonly associated with children. There is, of course, the smaller version of imagination that is simply believing. In the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, Cinderella and Harry Potter. I focused on both of these types of make-believe, because that is what I'm curious about. (Goldman, Laurence R)

So why do children come up with make-believe? There are many theories, but I only really believe in one of them. I think that the reason children are so quick to believe in the fantasy and fall into their imaginations is because their options are so limited in the outside world. Kids cannot really do many of the things we take advantage of every day. Very small children, toddlers, for instance, usually have large imaginations. And if you look at it, they can't really do many other things. Sure they can talk and walk and socialize, but they can't really get their opinions across or do what they want. In their imaginations, they can do anything and be anyone and anywhere. Big kids, on the other hand, also have active imaginations, but they are more involved in the outside world than toddlers. They incorporate the world into their dreams and realize that what they're doing is play. Toddlers realize this as well, but they are more into it than older children. (Fisher, Seymour and Rhoda L. Fisher)

But why is make-believe such a big part of our childhood? So 'important' to our upbringing that we create fantasical stories and books to help our kids along into the land of make-believe? At first I thought we all just made up stories because it was a fun way to pass the time. But it turns out that even our fake dreams prepare us for real life. When children use their imagination to become a pilot, they imgaine places and travel in their head. Of course, I highly doubt the way they picture their destinations is the truth, but it still gets them interested in the world. When kids socialize with other young ones, they are in fact, well, socializing! And more often than not, when children get together for 'play dates' or whatever they're called nowadays, they play games that involve their imaginations. This heightens their creativity (which is a very important skill) and gets them interested in whatever they are pretending to do. It also helps them build their independence because they are relying on themselves and often create scenarios in which they are in charge. People always say to learn from your mistakes. Children learn from their experiences. It's very much the same thing. (Goldman, Laurence R. and Anonymous 23 April)

In an interview with a psychologist who wishes to remain anonymous for personal reasons, he confirmed what I thought. "Children are very susceptible to make-believe because sometimes they just want to be. Parents should encourage make-believe up to a point, because often it helps the child develop. Even an Imaginary Friend is okay for the most part, as long as the child still knows that it is in fact imaginary. These 'friends' really help develop a child's social skills, because they talk and act as though their friends exist." See, so even imaginary friends can be helpful. Who knew? (Anonymous 23 April 2008)

I went to Princeton the other day and visited my baby sister. We played with her dollhouse, which in truth is my old one but it was so cool that we gave it to Sava instead of throwing it out. After doing all my research, I felt like seeing if what I thought was true. So I watched her play. She gave each of the dolls a name that matched someone in her immediate family. There was a Papa (Brian), Mama (Honorata), brother (Vinnie), and two sisters (Kats and Jolijt). When it came to picking a doll that would represent her, Sava picked a grown-up woman who walked and talked and acted like an adult. In her fantasy, she was the head of the household, the one who's stories made all the other dolls laugh at dinnertime. The girl who stayed up the latest, watching Its A Bugs Life forty-two times in a row. She was living out how she wanted to live in her doll life. She proved my theory correct.

I have learned a lot throughout my research, and I still want to learn more about the mind. Maybe I will become a psychologist when I grow up.

**Works Cited**
Goldman, Laurence R. __Child's Play: Myth, Mimesis, and Make-Believe__. Oxford, UK: Berg, 1998. __Child's Play: Myth, Mimesis, and Make-Believe__. 2 Apr. 2008 <[|http://books.google.com/books?id=_XA42AjK7HkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Myth,+Mimesis+and+Make-Believe&sig=rd2kaTAgyZZPIWAMzYKHY4mhc9o#PPR11,M1>.]

Fisher, Seymour, and Rhoda L. Fisher. __The Psychology of Adaptation to Absurdity: Tactics of Make-Believe__. Garden City, New York: Laurence Erlbaum Associates, 1993. __The Psychology of Adaptation to Absurdity: Tactics of Make-Believe__. 2 Apr. 2008  The Psychology of Adaptation to Absurdity: Tactics of Make-Believe

"How to Nurture your 2-Year-Old's Imagination - Parent Center." __Parent Center__. July 2006. Baby Center LLC. 10 Apr. 2008 <[|http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/0_how-to-nurture-your-2-year-olds-imagination_64144.pc#articlesection1>.]

Wolfson, Esther. "Imagination, a Child's Window." __Imagination: Your Child's Window to the World__. 25 Mar. 2001. Parent Center. 10 Apr. 2008 <[|http://www.wholefamily.com/aboutyourkids/imagination/childhood_2.html>.]

Interview with: Anonymous. 23 April 2008. Over the phone.