ASWB Clinical Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Imaginary friends most often emerge during the preoperational stage of cognitive development, which typically spans ages 2 to 7 years. During this stage, children's thinking is characterized by symbolic play and the use of imagination. They begin to develop their ability to think about things that are not immediately present, allowing them to create and maintain imaginary companions.

In this developmental phase, children engage in role-playing and transformative play, which fosters creativity and individuality. The presence of imaginary friends can help children navigate social interactions, express emotions, and practice social roles. This phenomenon is less common in the other stages; for instance, in the sensorimotor stage, which precedes preoperational development, children's understanding of the world is largely grounded in physical interactions and their immediate environment, leaving little room for imaginative expression.

Similarly, the concrete operational stage involves more logical and organized thinking, particularly regarding concrete events and objects, thereby limiting the prevalence of imaginary friends. In the formal operational stage, which occurs later, children are capable of abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning, but by this age, they have generally outgrown the tendency to create imaginary friends. Therefore, preoperational development is the key stage where imaginative play, including the creation of imaginary friends, is most