The interpersonal nature of self-talk: Variations across individuals and occasions.

Abstract

This research addressed the hypothesis that self-talk conveys a variety of interpersonal styles, representing different ways of addressing oneself, and that these different styles can be conceptualized with the interpersonal circumplex. Using a diary-like method for 14 days, 232 undergraduates were asked, toward the end of each day, to reflect on one positive and one negative event from that day and write down their self-talk about each. Using an instrument based on the interpersonal circumplex, participants and later independent judges rated the interpersonal qualities of each self-talk statement. Ratings showed a reasonably high degree of consistency over days, and averages over days for each participant showed reasonably good circumplex structure, consistent with an interpersonal conception of self-talk style. Multilevel modeling revealed that the interpersonal qualities of self-talk also showed substantial variance at the occasion level. There were synergistic interactions of self-talk dominance and affiliation in the prediction of post-self-talk affect, with higher positive and lower negative affect following self-talk that was relatively high in both dominance and affiliation. Conceptualizing self-talk styles in terms of the interpersonal circumplex offers a promising framework for further research on inner experience and its effects.