All About Psychology Newsletter
Imaginary Friends. The Trial That Gave Us the Word 'Psychopath'. Do Social Butterflies Struggle at Love?
A very warm welcome to the latest edition of the All About Psychology newsletter - the official newsletter of All-About-Psychology.com, a website providing comprehensive information and resources for psychology students and educators since 2008.
Understanding Imaginary Friends
From invisible unicorns to chatty astronauts, imaginary friends aren’t just cute quirks of childhood; they’re windows into the developing mind.
The All About Psychology article, Understanding Imaginary Friends: Development and Significance, explores why children create these companions and what their presence reveals about a child’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.
🔍 Backed by research from Piaget, Taylor, Gleason, and others, the article addresses:
✔️ How imaginary friends reflect growing imagination and symbolic thinking
✔️ Why children with imaginary companions often show stronger social and emotional intelligence
✔️ What these invisible allies reveal about creativity and personality
✔️ How environment and parenting styles shape imaginative play
✔️ When imaginary friends are a sign of thriving—not cause for concern
Whether you're a parent, educator, or psychology enthusiast, this article offers a fresh perspective on a beloved and often misunderstood childhood experience.
Read the full article: 👉 www.all-about-psychology.com/imaginary_friends.html
Moments in Psychology:
A fascinating glimpse into the stories that shaped psychology.
The Trial That Gave Us the Word 'Psychopath'
On 21 January 1885, the Pall Mall Gazette (London, England), published what is widely considered the first recognized account of the term “psychopath” as a descriptor for a person marked by a disturbing moral pathology.
Reporting on the acquittal of a Russian woman in a child murder case, the Gazette points to the testimony of Dr. M. Balinsky who informed the jury that the accused was suffering from "psychopathy," and therefore morally irresponsible. In Balinsky’s words:
“The psychopath is an individual whose every moral faculty appears to be of the normal equilibrium. He thinks logically, he distinguishes good and evil, and he acts according to reason. But of all moral notions he is entirely devoid. Beside his own person and his own interests, nothing is sacred to the psychopath.”
This definition ushered in the notion of psychopathy not merely as a medical curiosity, but as a social and legal concept. The trial (and the way it was reported) sparked intrigue and debate that still echoes through forensic psychology, psychiatric diagnosis, and our understanding of personality disorders today.
Learn more: The Psychopath: Separating fact from fiction. Quality information and resources.
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Psychology Q&A
The following question was posted on the All About Psychology Q&A page.
A couple of my friends love people; strangers, acquaintances, but I noticed when it comes to serious relationships they fail miserably. Are failed relationships common for social butterflies.
Here’s the answer they received:
Hi there, great question. Here’s what the research actually shows about your “people‑loving” friends and their rocky love lives.
1. Being outgoing usually helps, not hurts
People who score high on extraversion tend to bring energy, warmth, and plenty of positive emotion into a relationship. Large studies and meta‑analyses link extraversion with slightly higher day‑to‑day relationship satisfaction, mostly because these folks communicate enthusiastically and build fun shared experiences.
2. The hitch: more opportunities and a tiny uptick in risk
Because social butterflies keep wide networks and are comfortable chatting up new people, they encounter more potential partners. Studies on sociosexuality (how open you are to casual or multiple partners) show that extraverts, on average, score a bit higher, which means more temptation to stray. That temptation translates into a small but measurable bump in break‑ups and divorces among extraverts compared with introverts. The effect is real but modest.
3. The real troublemaker is neuroticism
If someone is both outgoing and emotionally volatile (high neuroticism), the odds of conflict, jealousy, and eventual break‑up rise sharply. Neuroticism is the strongest personality predictor of divorce and low marital satisfaction across dozens of studies.
4. Traits that cushion the relationship
Two other traits consistently protect couples: conscientiousness (being reliable and self‑controlled) and agreeableness (being considerate and cooperative). When those are high, relationship stability improves regardless of how chatty or party‑loving someone is.
5. Why your friends might still stumble
Trait mix: Outgoing plus high neuroticism or low conscientiousness is a tricky combination.
Novelty seeking: Always chasing new stimulation can make a steady relationship feel dull unless they invest in deeper, slower‑burn intimacy.
Mismatch with partners: Dating someone who needs a quiet night in while they thrive on big gatherings can leave both people feeling unseen.
Skill gaps: Charm at a party is not the same as staying calm in a fight, keeping promises, or managing money together.
6. What actually helps
Encourage your friends to channel their social energy into the relationship: plan shared adventures, introduce their partner proudly to their circle, and practice being as dependable in private as they are engaging in public. If emotional reactivity is a problem, mindfulness or basic CBT skills can lower the volume on knee‑jerk reactions. Choosing partners who enjoy, or at least respect, their social lifestyle makes everything easier.
Bottom line: Loving people and loving one person long term are related but not the same skill set. Extraversion brings plenty of advantages, but how those advantages play out depends on the rest of the personality package and on day‑to‑day choices. With self‑awareness and solid relationship habits, social butterflies can absolutely land and keep healthy, committed partnerships.
Psychology Q & A is open to everyone and is designed as a space for those with an interest in psychology to both give and receive help. So, if you have a psychology-related question, feel free to ask! And if you believe you can answer any of the questions posted, I encourage you to share your insights. Please note that any content generated by psychology Q & A is provided for informational purposes only. It does not signify that I endorse the material provided or the views expressed. None of the information within psychology Q & A should be considered a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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