Science explains why we talk to ourselves

Researchers have found that the ability to concentrate can be influenced by the content of our speech. In experiments, individuals were asked to speak nonsensical words while carrying out unrelated tasks. As humans struggle with multitasking, this exercise generally hindered their performance in the given task.

8 / 27 Fotos

Prevents distractions, keeps focus intact -

On the other hand, when individuals utilize their verbal communication to guide their actions, it enhances their task execution, enabling them to recall and execute their duties more effectively.

9 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk and imagery -

Speaking out loud and visualizing things have implications. For instance, when searching for a chicken in a busy illustration like 'Where's Waldo?', saying the word "chicken" helps visualize and locate it more quickly.

10 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk and belief -

In addition to cognitive benefits, talking to oneself can also enhance confidence and motivation through positive self-talk, resulting in increased self-assurance and drive.

11 / 27 Fotos

Sports -

Several studies have investigated the impact of self-talk on the performance of tennis players. Typically, participants are divided into two groups and engage in an assessment, training sessions, and a concluding evaluation.

12 / 27 Fotos

Enhances tennis players' athletic abilities -

A group is instructed to engage in positive self-talk. During the final evaluation, the group exhibits reduced anxiety, increased confidence, and improved performance compared to the other group.

13 / 27 Fotos

Self-distancing -

Speaking to oneself in the third person can help reduce anxiety for an upcoming job interview by causing self-distancing.

14 / 27 Fotos

Motivational speech in third person -

Speaking to oneself in the third person, such as saying "you can do this, John," instead of "I can do this," has been found to reduce anxiety and nervousness towards a given task.

15 / 27 Fotos

Relaxing -

A study in Scientific Reports found that speaking in the third person is an effective method to calm oneself down.

16 / 27 Fotos

Internal thoughts -

Everyone experiences inner thoughts, though the amount may vary. These thoughts may drift during late hours, seemingly random. Nevertheless, it is crucial to discern these distractions and focus on our daily tasks.

17 / 27 Fotos

Excessive self-talk -

For individuals battling depression or anxiety, it can be challenging to break through this internal dialogue. When one's inner thoughts stray excessively, they may become incoherent and devoid of meaning.

18 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk is helpful for managing challenging emotions -

Speaking to someone, whether it be a friend or a therapist, can prove beneficial when dealing with challenging emotions. Similarly, simply talking to oneself can also provide relief, especially when there is no one else present to lend a listening ear.

19 / 27 Fotos

Understanding and accepting our emotions -

It basically aids us in comprehending our emotions, such as grief, guilt, or other feelings, and assists us in accepting and making peace with them.

20 / 27 Fotos

Mental disorder -

Individuals with mental illness, such as schizophrenia, may engage in self-dialogue. They may experience the perception of an external voice within their mind and occasionally vocalize their responses. This unique phenomenon distinguishes them from other cases of self-talk.

21 / 27 Fotos

When it becomes problematic -

Speaking to oneself can be worrisome when it arises from auditory hallucinations, wherein one converses with an entity within their mind, exclusively heard by them, distinct from their own thoughts.

22 / 27 Fotos

Negative thoughts -

Another form of harmful self-talk is negative self-talk, where individuals openly discourage and criticize themselves, impacting their self-esteem and outlook.

23 / 27 Fotos

Mostly, it's typical -

Speaking to oneself is generally considered normal and serves various purposes besides being associated with mental health issues.

24 / 27 Fotos

It aids our functionality -

Individuals engage in this practice to manage their feelings and thoughts more effectively while enhancing productivity.

25 / 27 Fotos

When faced with a problem, get assistance -

If you have a habit that you cannot break and would like to, if it causes you distress, or if it mainly consists of negative self-talk, reaching out to someone for assistance might be a helpful step.

Sources: (Neuroscience Letters) (Nature) (Big Think) (Medical News Today)(Healthline) (Perceptual and Motor Skills)

26 / 27 Fotos

Shutterstock

0 / 27 Fotos

Motor command -

Speaking aloud to oneself is an expression of our internal monologue. It occurs when our motor functions are activated automatically.

Shutterstock

1 / 27 Fotos

Explanation? -

According to Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky in the early 20th century, speaking out loud during the initial stages of learning to talk is a result of the disconnect between our speech and thoughts.

Shutterstock

2 / 27 Fotos

Thoughts transform into spoken expressions -

Subsequently, internal dialogue arises, causing our thoughts to resemble spoken sentences more.

Shutterstock

3 / 27 Fotos

Linking thoughts and speech -

As we grow older, we reduce our frequency of connecting our thoughts to our speech. However, even in adulthood, we continue to do so for various reasons.

Shutterstock

4 / 27 Fotos

Additional reasons for self-talk -

Speaking out loud can have many benefits for adults, such as practicing a language, enhancing learning abilities, and improving social skills through "private speech".

Shutterstock

5 / 27 Fotos

Auditory learners learn by speaking to themselves -

Shutterstock

6 / 27 Fotos

Repeating aloud helps improve everyone's memory -

Reading something aloud, instead of silently, aids memory retention for individuals and facilitates effective communication.

Shutterstock

7 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk improves focus -

Shutterstock

8 / 27 Fotos

Prevents distractions, keeps focus intact -

On the other hand, when individuals utilize their verbal communication to guide their actions, it enhances their task execution, enabling them to recall and execute their duties more effectively.

Shutterstock

9 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk and imagery -

Shutterstock

10 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk and belief -

In addition to cognitive benefits, talking to oneself can also enhance confidence and motivation through positive self-talk, resulting in increased self-assurance and drive.

Shutterstock

11 / 27 Fotos

Sports -

Shutterstock

12 / 27 Fotos

Enhances tennis players' athletic abilities -

A group is instructed to engage in positive self-talk. During the final evaluation, the group exhibits reduced anxiety, increased confidence, and improved performance compared to the other group.

Shutterstock

13 / 27 Fotos

Self-distancing -

Speaking to oneself in the third person can help reduce anxiety for an upcoming job interview by causing self-distancing.

Shutterstock

14 / 27 Fotos

Motivational speech in third person -

Speaking to oneself in the third person, such as saying "you can do this, John," instead of "I can do this," has been found to reduce anxiety and nervousness towards a given task.

Shutterstock

15 / 27 Fotos

Relaxing -

A study in Scientific Reports found that speaking in the third person is an effective method to calm oneself down.

Shutterstock

16 / 27 Fotos

Internal thoughts -

Shutterstock

17 / 27 Fotos

Excessive self-talk -

Shutterstock

18 / 27 Fotos

Self-talk is helpful for managing challenging emotions -

Shutterstock

19 / 27 Fotos

Understanding and accepting our emotions -

It basically aids us in comprehending our emotions, such as grief, guilt, or other feelings, and assists us in accepting and making peace with them.

Shutterstock

20 / 27 Fotos

Mental disorder -

Shutterstock

21 / 27 Fotos

When it becomes problematic -

Speaking to oneself can be worrisome when it arises from auditory hallucinations, wherein one converses with an entity within their mind, exclusively heard by them, distinct from their own thoughts.

Shutterstock

22 / 27 Fotos

Negative thoughts -

Another form of harmful self-talk is negative self-talk, where individuals openly discourage and criticize themselves, impacting their self-esteem and outlook.

Shutterstock

23 / 27 Fotos

Mostly, it's typical -

Speaking to oneself is generally considered normal and serves various purposes besides being associated with mental health issues.

Shutterstock

24 / 27 Fotos

It aids our functionality -

Individuals engage in this practice to manage their feelings and thoughts more effectively while enhancing productivity.

Shutterstock

25 / 27 Fotos

When faced with a problem, get assistance -

If you have a habit that you cannot break and would like to, if it causes you distress, or if it mainly consists of negative self-talk, reaching out to someone for assistance might be a helpful step.

Sources: (Neuroscience Letters) (Nature) (Big Think) (Medical News Today)(Healthline) (Perceptual and Motor Skills)

Shutterstock

26 / 27 Fotos

Science explains why we talk to ourselves

It's quite common! Well, at least in most cases...

20/12/24 | StarsInsider

HEALTH Psychology

In certain situations, it can be embarrassing to be caught talking to oneself. It may give the impression that one has lost their sanity. Generally, speaking is seen as a means of communication, so talking to oneself without directing it at someone or without anyone hearing can seem pointless. However, this assumption is not entirely accurate. Speaking serves other purposes as well.

How often do we find ourselves looking for our keys and ask, "where are my keys?" Saying it aloud actually helps us locate them because it reminds us of what we are searching for and prevents us from losing focus. This is just one example of the benefits of self-talk.

If you want to delve deeper into the reasons why we engage in self-talk, commonly known as "self-talk," continue scrolling through this gallery.