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The activity view of inner speech.

Fernando Martínez-Manrique¹, Agustín Vicente²

¹Departamento de Filosofía I, University of Granada , Granada, Spain.

Frontiers in Psychology

|March 26, 2015

Summary

The activity view of inner speech (IS) is defended over the format view. This perspective highlights IS as a speaking activity, aligning its functions with outer speech and offering broader explanatory advantages for cognitive phenomena.

Keywords:

action prediction activity view consciousness format view inner speech phonological representation unsymbolized thinking

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Philosophy of Mind

Background:

Inner speech (IS) is conceptualized through two main frameworks: the "format" view and the "activity" view.
The format view posits IS's utility stems from language's representational format, potentially enabling conscious thought.
The activity view considers IS a form of speaking activity, inheriting functions from overt speech.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the "format" and "activity" views of inner speech.
To advocate for the "activity" view as a more comprehensive and advantageous theoretical framework.
To explore the methodological benefits of approaching IS as an activity.

Main Methods:

Theoretical analysis and argumentation comparing the explanatory power of the two views.
Examination of existing problems with the "format" view, such as accounting for "unsymbolized thinking" and the role of format features.
Assessment of the advantages of the "activity" view in explaining the diverse functions and characteristics of IS.

Main Results:

The "format" view faces challenges in explaining "unsymbolized thinking" and certain uses of IS where format features are not salient.
The "activity" view provides a more robust explanation for the multifaceted nature of IS.
This perspective integrates IS with overt speech functions and accommodates a wider range of cognitive phenomena.

Conclusions:

The "activity" view of inner speech offers superior explanatory power compared to the "format" view.
Conceptualizing IS as an activity allows for a unified understanding of its diverse functions and its relationship to overt speech.
This approach better accounts for phenomena like "unsymbolized thinking" and the varied roles IS plays in cognition.