Gaby
Internal monologue, inner speech, and intrapersonal communication are all terms that describe a phenomenon familiar to many people: talking to oneself.
You might remember the old joke: “It’s nice to talk to a smart person.”
Lenny Shedletsky, a communication professor at the University of Southern Maine (USA), has studied this phenomenon for 40 years. He believes that each of us is a “walking laboratory” with experience in self-talk, whether silent or vocal.
For instance, when searching for a lost item, we often accompany our actions with an internal monologue. Some might argue that what happens in such cases in our brains is called thinking, not communication. However, Professor Shedletsky is ready to debate this point. He says there is a real realm of communication inside us, triggered by outside stimuli—something we see or hear.
But how do we know when an internal monologue begins? According to the professor, it arises when we are engaged in evaluating or assigning meaning to something.
How Common is This Phenomenon?
Scientists have yet to reach a consensus on whether internal monologue is a universal trait.
This point is emphasized by communication expert Russell Harlbert of the University of Nevada, who has also spent his career studying the topic.
In his view, answering this question requires a large-scale and quite complex study. Currently, Russell Harlbert believes that many people think they possess an internal monologue, but in reality, the number is significantly lower.
In one of his studies, Harlbert observed a group of 30 university students who wore beepers attached to their ears. Throughout the day, the devices emitted a sound at random intervals. During these intervals, participants were instructed to jot down their thoughts, as reported by Newsweek.
Afterward, the researcher spoke with the students and analyzed their notes to understand each person’s thought process. The results showed that internal speech was present in only 26 percent of participants.
In other words, the scientist believes that only one in four people regularly engages in internal monologue.
Is Internal Speech a Sign of Intelligence?
A 2015 study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin indicated that internal monologue is present even in children aged 5 to 7.
Moreover, another team of researchers found that some children begin to develop this ability between 18 and 21 months, as reported in the journal Cognition.
Other work finds that some people use internal monologue more often than others, but that frequency doesn’t necessarily correlate with intelligence.
According to Professor Shedletsky’s observations, there is no difference between the internal monologue of a young person and that of an older adult. Specifically, the frequency of self-talk is similar across different age groups.
However, older individuals may take a few more seconds to evaluate a situation. Cognitive abilities decline with age, but mature individuals, albeit more slowly, can still solve problems. Internal speech often aids them in this process.
Is Internal Monologue Good or Bad?
Harlbert says it’s not a bad thing—unless your internal monologue is negative.
This is not surprising. Some people tend toward negative intrapersonal communication, while others lean toward the positive. Experts estimate that a person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts daily, with about 80 percent of them being negative.
Such thoughts can lead to depression or anxiety. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to address these issues, focusing on limiting negative self-talk.
Shedletsky says intrapersonal communication occurs when people need to make decisions. Often, self-talk helps make those decisions more well-considered and accurate.
