ABSTRACT

Fantasy and imagination are two of the most powerful components of human experience. There are various definitions and theories of imagery (Bruner, 1964; Horowitz, 1978; Houtz & Patricola, 1999), computer models (e.g., Kosslyn, Margolis, Barret, Goldknopf, & Daly, 1990), and pioneering experiments on the delay of gratification (Mischel, Ebbeson, & Zeiss, 1972). Within these contexts, it is worthwhile to consider the origins of imagination and fantasy, moving from Piaget’s sensorimotor stage to the concrete stage of operations, when the overt pretend behavior and symbolic play of the young child take the form of covert speech and more private imagery. Such observable play has helped scholars to assess imagination and consider the constructive uses of imaginative processes.