RJA #13c: Application Project Example

My Imaginary Friend Pt 1 by Joshua Taylor (http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1306820-My-Imaginary-Friend-Pt-1)

Ridiculed laughter was always a living nightmare for eight-year-old Geoffrey “Geoffey” Mantis. Geoffey always kept to himself, he never did have any friends. Sitting alone in his corner of the classroom at his elementary school, Geoffey always had his Dr. Destructo action figure. No one ever bothered with Geoffey for one reason or another. Teachers, classmates, and even school counselors all agreed on one thing, Geoffey was special. No, not special as in mentally or physically handicapped. Geoffey was just a one-of-a-kind special type of kid.
Geoffrey Mantis topped out at four feet and three inches. He was the tallest kid in his class, and skinny as a stick, weighing only about 60 pounds. If it was not for Geoffey’s height or weight that had people noticing him, it was his bright fire red hair. His hair made a pouf on the top of his head, and it was bright; you would take a double-glance back because you thought you just walked past a clown in the middle of Folkswood Elementary. But it was not his hair, height, nor his weight that the bullies made fun of him for. Geoffey’s glasses, the size of two magnifying glasses placed next to each other, and as thick as the bottom of an old soda bottle, were the reason for his ridicule. Geoffey was also the first kid in his grade to get braces. Braces were not the “coolest” thing to have in the third grade, especially if you were not a “cool” kid.
So Geoffey sat alone in his corner playing with his Dr. Destructo like any other day. Dr. Destructo just destroyed an alphabet block model of San Francisco, only 30 miles from Folkswood Elementary (Geoffey at times would stare out the window at the Golden Gate Bridge thinking ‘That bridge really stands out . . . just like me. But I bet big bullies don’t pick on that bridge. That bridge could crush big bullies, but not Dr. Destructo. Dr. Destructo could destroy that bridge no problem.’). Crashing and laser firing noises ejaculated from Geoffey’s mouth, his arms gesticulating in an imitative manner of his action figure as it knocked over a block skyscraper. Geoffey placed down with care his beloved action figure to build up another building for Dr. Destructo to knock over. Amanda Baskett, the ‘Preppy Princess’ of the third grade, rushes over in her pretty pink dress to scoop up Dr. Destructo.
“Hey look, Brace-face is playing with Dollllls.” She announced to the class, waving the action figure back and forth like a pendulum by the action figures’ right foot. The entire class begins to laugh uncontrollably, pointing and sneering at Geoffey and Dr. Destructo. Amanda begins to imitate Dr. Destructo’s movement with her head; Amanda’s braided pigtail sway back and forth, looking like two playground swings swaying in the gentle breeze of a summer day.
“No he’s not,” Geoffrey said quietly to himself, he never let anyone insult Dr. Destructo, but then his voice begins to grow, “He’s a collectors 1923 first edition action figure that my grandfather gave to me. If you wouldn’t have a peanut brain you might of known that Miss Amanda Baskett-case.” That was what Geoffey’s parents called Amanda behind her back.
The entire class was in shock, some “Ooo-ed” while others gasped. A few children cheered Geoffey on and one even applauded. Amanda turned a bright red with furry, the same shade and hue as Geoffrey’s hair. She hurled Dr. Destructo across the room with as much force her little arms could carry that action figure, sending it crashing into a wall. Dr. Destructo, now known as Dr. Destructible, smashed into the wall and his arm fell off and broke into three places. Amanda averted her attention back to Geoffey. No one had ever made Amanda Baskett this angry before.
“You’re a jerk Geoffey! No one makes fun of me!” Amanda bellows as she pulls har arm back, ready to lash out in furry at Geoffey. At that moment that teacher, Mrs. Pross had Amanda’s tiny rage fuelled fist clasped in her own much larger hand. Mrs. Pross was a giant, muscular woman. Not only does she intimidate her class, she intimidates her husband. People say she looks like the old World War II propaganda character Rosie without the bandana. Many other people say that she could intimidate the Incredible Hulk if she had married him.
“In the hallway now, Miss Baskett,” Mrs. Pross demands of Amanda in her deep rich voice “I will not tolerate fighting in my class”. Amanda ran outside the classroom with the quickness of a frightened deer avoiding a car. The class knew Mrs. Pross approved corporal punishment, but they never knew if she actually beat a child. After the door closed behind Mrs. Pross, the classroom erupted in a roar of excitement, but mostly disappointment from the students who wanted to see a fight. Geoffey was now on his knees after he gathered up what was left of Dr. Destructo’s arm. Geoffey cups his hands around the broken pieces of the arm and he mourned the cold plastic that once was his only friend.
Don’t Worry Geoffey, everything will get better. The pieces of Dr. Destructo’s arm snap back to one piece and replace its self where it was once
connected.


I chose this short story because it represents the bond a child has with their imaginary friend. I like the fact that it explains how the imaginary friend helps the child. I believe this story can help me become inspired to create a different story somewhat like it. The story contains a child within the same ages of the common creators of imaginary friends. It gives us an example of how imaginary companions can also be personified objects and not just invisible beings. The imaginary companion is presented with a personality and name that fits it. I think this is a perfect example of how children interact with Imaginary Friends.

RJA #13b: Application Project Plan

I decided to write a short story on a child and their imaginary friend. The story will present the relationship a child has with their imaginary friend through the child's eyes. The story will also represent the benefits a child receives when creating an imaginary friend. The story will incorporate the common ages that children create imaginary friends. The story will end with the imaginary friend going away by using one of the reasons i found in the book Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them.

RJA # 13a: Word Cloud

RJA #12b: Field Research Report–

In my field research, I decided to interview a few friends on facebook. It was not as successful as I had hoped because I only had a few people who responded to the request. I do think that people I did get to interview provided me with helpful information.

When I asked:

1. Have you or any of your children had imaginary friends?
Three people responded and said that their child has or has had an imaginary friend.
One person told me they use to have an imaginary friend.
I also recieved a response from my own mother and she told me that out of all her children, I was the only one who had an imaginary friend.

2. How has this experience had an effect on you and/or your child? Was it a postive or negative impact?
One person viewed it as a negative experience. I was told their child currently has an imaginary friend. The mother said: "I think my youngest son has a imaginary friend cuz he is always talking to himself and he laughs when he is alone and I am sure he does. We ask him questions about it and he just says its his friend he won't give us a name or anything but we try not to pressure him to much about it but he is not consumed by it either. My son has had a negative impact. He is scared of him sometimes and doesn't want to go to his room to sleep but it doesn't make him behave badly. He doesn't tell us much except that he can be mean and he is scared of him sometimes but he hasn't seen him in a month or so. So I don't know if this helps you much or not but it's the only thing I can tell you about the experience."
Another source told me: "I had an imaginary dinosaur when I was three or four. i blamed him for everything bad or wrong I did. It hasn't been a bad experience for me because it got me out of trouble, i think it's mostly because my parents think it was weird that i had one. It might have been an interesting experience for them because they were tired of hearing me blame things on him. Let me know if this helps."
Another mother told me: "When my five year old was about 3 he developed two imaginary friends named Daisy and X. He's 5 and a half now and doesn't talk about them or to them much anymore, but it was pretty weird. I don't know where he came up with the names and personalities of them. But X was always the bad one and he would sometimes say that X told him to do things! lol He also told me that Daisy would always play with my make-up and stuff. No I do not believe it has had a negative impact. It wasn't scary for him or anything. And yes to the positive, in some ways. I think that through Daisy and X he has found a way to communicating with me through them and seeing what my reactions are. But who knows maybe he really does have "friends that he See's. LOL :) But it never got to the point where it was problem. Hope this helps."


My goal now is to see if I could find more people to respond to these questions and maybe try and use a different method by asking more questions.

RJA #12a: Annotated Bibliography, Part 3–

"Imaginary friends." raisingsuperchild.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. .

This article presents the different types of imaginary friends a child has. It features very brief information on the statistics that answer what types of children tend to create imaginary friends. Its a good source to use because it analyzes imaginary friends as a good thing for children. It allows parents to build a better perspective on imaginary friends and encourages them to support their child's imagination.

Simpson, Rachel. "Child Development: Imaginary Friends Revealed (Printer Friendly) - Child Development | Wondertime." Wondertime: Understanding Kids, Inspiring Parents - Joys of Parenting Young Kids (Toddlers). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. .

This website provides a good source of information about imaginary friends. The article is basically provided to answer the questions that arise about having imaginary friends. The site is organized to differentiate the truth versus the myths involved with imaginary friends. It helps supports the idea that imaginary friends are a good thing for children.

TRINOFI, GABRIEL, and ELAINE REESE. "A Good Story: Children with Imaginary Companions Create Richer Narratives." Child Development 80.4 (2009): 1301-1313. Print.

This edition of the Child Development Journal reflects on the creativity that expands in a child with imaginary friends. It features the result of the case study conducted by the authors Trinofi and Reese. All the methods used to conduct the research are presented in in-depth detail. This article helps support the theory entailing Imaginary Companions help boost creativity.

Telegraph. "One in five young children have imaginary friends - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk: news, business, sport, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .

This is a short online news article but contains necessary information to present the argument on Imaginary Friends. The article is based on a study conducted in the UK about kids with imaginary friends. It offers the personality trait that suggest imaginary friends can be alter egos. It is based entirely on children in the UK but presents a good case.

RJA #11: Annotated Bibliography, Part 2–

Ellis, Lisa. "When Imaginary Friends Come to Play." Health Information, Savings, Blogs and Support Groups. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

. Lisa Ellis explains what she has learned about imaginary friends. This article is very infromative and she bases her research off of psychologists who have conducted studies on imaginary friends. The article features how common Imaginary friends are and how easily a child can change from one imaginary friend to another. It also explains other findings about imaginary friends that are vital to a better understanding about them. The goal of this article is to better educate people about the good that Imaginary friends do for children.

Hulbert, Ann. "New research on pretend friends. - By Ann Hulbert - Slate Magazine ." Slate Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

Ann Hulbert wrote this article to answer the question: Are Imaginary companions good for children? She praises the development skills that are found in children who have had and have imaginary friends. This information helps provide relief to parents who discover their child has a broad imagination. She encourages parents to help a child create an imaginary friend if they have never had one.

Langholt, Alice. "Imaginary Friends - Life123." Articles And Answers About Life - Life123. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

This article contains a lot of the information needed to obtain a better understanding of what life is like living with an imaginary friend. It presents the concerns of when having an imaginary friend becomes unhealthy. The author Alice Langholt briefly explains why a child develops this type of pretend play. It is necessary to use this resource as another example of how people interpret Imaginary companions.

Roby, Anna. "Imaginary Friendships Could Boost Child Development." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

. Anna Roby is embarking on a research that proves that Imaginary Friends can help boost Child development. Many others have tested theories about children being able to quickly develop langauge skills through interaction with imaginary friends. This article focuses on the new belief that imaginary friends are good. In order to further investigate this belief, it explains what psychologist know about it and what Roby wants to further discover.

The Medical News. " Imaginary friends help children learn." THE MEDICAL NEWS from News-Medical.Net - Latest Medical News and Research from Around the World. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2010.

. This article talks about the research conducted by Dr Evan Kidd and his colleague Anna Roby. The research found that children who have imaginary friends are more capable of getting a point across than children without Imaginary friends. This is one of the language and social skills that develop during the interaction between the child and their friend. This information includes how many children have participated in the study.

RJA #10c: Ideas for the Application Project–

****A Personal Letter to my Mother****

I asked my mother if any of her children have had imaginary friends. Since I now know that I was the only one of her children that had an imaginary friend, it will be easy for me to construct a personal letter asking about that experience. The letter would suggest how it affected me and how I interacted with other children. It will also explain to her how the imaginary friend help mold me into the child I was. Instead of making the letter all about me, i would also like to ask her how it affected her and my father. I would like to ask if the imaginary friend developed before or after their divorce. Did I act out against the situation? How did I cope?


****Short Story****

I would like to demonstrate the arguments and the counterarguments into a story about a child and their imaginary friend. If I can suggest the behavioral issues involved with an imaginary friend, a short story would be a great example. The story will provide the assumptive age of children who create imaginary friends and exploit all of the characteristics of this type of child.

****News Article****

There are many things i can offer in a news article. I think the best option would be to write about Preschool and School age kids who have an imaginary friend. The article could provide the pros and cons of invisible buddies and how teachers/parents should react. It would also include what type of outcomes occur depending on how the adult reacts to the child.

****Editorial****

I could provide my own opinions on Imaginary Friends. I would also like to provide the input of other people who share the same opinions and views on the topic. I would explain why I think having imaginary friends is a healthy and normal part of development and what type of resources made me choose this argument.

RJA #10b: Progress Report for Argumentative Paper–

***WHAT I'VE DONE***

I have gathered most of the resources I need to complete my paper. After drafting an outline, I've organized the construction of my argument. I began reading Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them and writing key points to help support my argument. I interviewed a couple of people on Facebook who have had an experience in dealing with imaginary friends. I also began writing my rough draft of the paper.

***What I Need to Do****

I need to organize my research and decide which sources are more relevant to my argument. I reread my thesis statement over and decided i need to reconstruct it. I don't really like the way i presented the thesis and intend to rewrite it. I will continue interviewing people and gathering more resources from suggestions that were made to me from friends. There are more books available that will help me with counterarguments. Once, i have completed the tasks at hand i will continue to write and edit my rough draft.

RJA #10a: Annotated Bibliography, Part 1–

Gleason, Tracy. "Social Provisions of Real and Imaginary Relationships in Early Childhood." Developmental Psychology 38.No 6 (2002): 979-992. Print.

This journal issue provides the perceptions of social relationships of preschool age children. Gleason conducted research that provides a better understanding of how children interact with each other. The study compares three types of children: Those who have imaginary companions, children who personify objects, and children without imaginary friends. The characteristics and variations of the selected groups are explained and compared making it easier to determine why children create imaginary friends and why. It features how children inteact with each other and their imaginary friends. This article is relevant in contrasting the relationships that children have and how they react in different circumstances involving real and invisible friends.
Taylor, Marjorie. Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them. 1 ed. New York: Oxford University Press, USA, 1999. Print.

Marjorie Taylor is an active psychologist at the University of Oregon. As the author of this book she explains how imaginary companions help children in their cognitive development. She offers many valid arguments that officiate Imaginary Friends as a normal part of child's development. Her arguments are gathered from research in which she conducted herself. She describes what type of children create imaginary friends and compares them to other children who do not establish them. The book provides the characteristics of children with invisible friends, answers the question of why children develop imaginary friends, and acknowledges the complexity between reality and make believe. Taylor makes credible details to suggest that having imaginary friends is a positive and healthy contribution to a child's life. With a complete understanding of how a child's imagination works, the author provides the target audience (Parents, Teachers,etc.) with information that can help them react to the matter.

Taylor, Marjorie, Stephanie Carlson, Bayta Maring, Lynn Gerow, and Carolyn Charley. "The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in School-Age Children:." Developmental Psychology 40.No 6 (2004): 1173-1187. Print.

The authors of this article conducted a case study to determine what type of children create imaginary friends. The article disregards any prior misconceptions of the age that kids develop imaginary friends. Researchers may suggest that the climax of this type of pretend play happens in preschool years, the authors downplay that conclusion based on their own case studies. They initiated the study by gathering children ages 6 and 7. The studies presented a counterargument on the age of imagination and when the children dismiss their fantasies. The methods, steps, and procedures that were involved in the research project supports their counterargument and makes the assumptions liable.