THINKING ABOUT FANTASY - ARE CHILDREN FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THINKERS AND BELIEVERS FROM ADULTS

Young children are often viewed as being unable to differentiate fanta sy from reality. This article reviews research on both children's and adults' beliefs about fantasy as well as their tendency to engage in w hat is thought of as ''magical thinking.'' It is suggested that childr en are not fundamentally different from adults in their ability to dis tinguish fantasy from reality: Both children and adults entertain fant astical beliefs and also engage in magical thinking. Suggestions are o ffered as to how children and adults may differ in this domain, and an agenda for future research is offered.