Is This a Recognized Disorder?

Hi all,
I am trying to find out more information on a particular type of disorder where a person assigns human characteristics to inanimate objects. Is there one out there like this?
Thank you,
Jen

I cannot find anything that calls this sort of behavior a disorder. My first thought was personification, as in literature - usually used in metaphors. But I remember, somewhere in the back of my mind something about a sort of "condition" (not really condition, but I cannot think of a better word) where people will give inanimate objects human characteristics, this being done more in real life than as a literary device. SO, I found this description:
from wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathetic_fallacy

in english and literature classes and my psych classes we call this "Personification" its not a psychological disorder. its a normal part of development that children automatically go through and is normally just carried on through out a persons normal life time.

examples an infant learning how to eat and chew and play the parent makes the spoon into airplanes, animals the childs favorite object making noises for the imaginary airplane, animals and making the childs favorite object have a voice or noise.

toddlers pretending their stuffed animals and toys can talk. an angry toddler giving a voice to their favorite play thing.

school age children playing pretend, dress up, house, make believe giving their toys and imaginary friends a voice. giving their pets a voice.

Adults using their imaginations to play roll playing games with their spouces giving voice to their body parts, objects or imaginary people they are roll playing at the moment.

psychiatrists, therapists teachers are always using toys and rgiving the toys a voice so that those they work with will do the same thing to learn how to use their imagination and to learn how to express theirself.

Adult pet owneres giving vioce tot heir pets by matching their own thoughts to what their pets expressions and behaviors may be telling them.

artists giving voice and expression to their creations through the arts of painting, sculpting sketching their own emotions, thoughts expressions of desires, stresses whatever into their artwork.

every human being learns from their parents from the moment thier parents pick up a toy and make noises and babbles to their kids how to begin giving inanimate objects a voice, emotion and expressions and its naturally carried on through out a persons life time.

if you need to find out if you do this and how just walk up to one of your relatives or friends children and then I dare you dont pick up a toy and dont start interacting with them on a personification level of human development.

try walking into a pet shop and not walk over to the cutest animal and dont start talking to it. oh hi there arn't you so cute, what do you want, you want out dont you LOL

its just natural human instinct and learned behavior to personify non verbal and inanimate objects. some people just are more open and less self conscious than others so they naturally do it more than others especially if they are spending a great deal of their time with the non verbal and in animate things and lots of alone time. Humans are social animals they say in psych class. so be social and enjoy.

I do this too. I'm 33 yrs old and have been doing this on one level or another all my life.

To this day...if I see something, like a pile of rocks, and then I see one lone rock setting away from the pile...I'm likely to feel bad for the lone rock and think it must be lonely. I'm also likely to move it over into the rock pile. Makes me feel better...for the rock...it's not so alone anymore.

I do this with other things in life and my environment as well. AmandaLouise had a great explanation for it.

I'm wondering...do these acts actually cause you distress, or does thinking there's something wrong with you because you do this cause you more distress?

I think you're doing okay!!

I recall (before "pet rocks" came into being), having my own rocks.

They all had names, and I loved them.

I also had a walking stick who was my best friend for a time.....yes I'm Crazy, always was.......I consider my love of these inanimate objects to be indicative of the "saner" side of me!!!---------------theo

I stopped doing that when my favorite wall ran off with the ceiling.

Oh, you two need to be detentioned!!

You guys made me smile!! And yes, I have also consider this way of perceiving the world as being indicative of the saner and compassionate side of myself.

I do this with stuffies
I don't think it's a disorder... there's nothing wrong with it...

I use to name my dresses (back in the 1950's when girls always wore dresses :-) and they made me feel a certain way when I wore them.