‘In fairy tales fairies can disappear’: Children's reasoning about the characteristics of humans and fantasy figures

Two studies assessed whether children share with adults a concept of fantasy figures as entities that violate causal principles. Inferences about the characteristics of humans and fantasy figures were elicited with a forced‐choice questionnaire. Items from the biological, psychological, and physical domains pitted possible against impossible abilities; social domain items pitted conventional against unconventional behaviours. Older children (6–9 years) and adults attributed few non‐human characteristics from any domain to humans and attributed more impossible than unconventional characteristics to fantasy figures. Younger children (3–5 years) attributed fewer non‐human characteristics to humans than to fantasy figures, but attributed similar patterns of impossible and unconventional characteristics to humans and fantasy figures. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive changes between 3–5 and 6–9 years, and between 6–9 years and adulthood, that promote awareness that impossible abilities are uniquely associated with fantasy.