Washington: A new study has found that children with imaginary friends are better at communicating, likely because they make up whole conversations.
Lead researcher Dr Evan Kidd of La Trobe University said: "Children with imaginary friends have a lot of practice at inventing interactions between their imaginary friends and themselves.
"We think that this is what facilitates their development of conversational skills -- being in charge of both sides of the conversation."
The researchers have based their findings on an analysis of 44 children -- the study showed the 22 children who had imaginary friends were better able to get their point across than were kids of the same age who did not have one.
They also found that children with an invisible friend or personified toy had a better social understanding, were generally first born or only children and were very creative.