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Does the Default Mode Network Mediate an Ongoing Internal Narrative? An Evaluation of Menon's (2023) Hypothesis
1Purdue University.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|June 24, 2025
Summary
The default mode network (DMN) may not create an ongoing internal narrative solely from inner speech (IS). A broader interpretation involving situation models better explains DMN function across species and development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- The default mode network (DMN) is implicated in internally oriented thought.
- It supports functions like self-referential judgment, memory, and social cognition.
- Menon proposed the DMN creates an "ongoing internal narrative" from inner speech (IS).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Menon's hypothesis that the DMN generates an ongoing internal narrative.
- To examine the role of inner speech (IS) in this proposed narrative.
- To explore alternative interpretations of the DMN's function.
Main Methods:
- Critical review of existing neuroscientific and developmental research.
- Analysis of the concept of "internal narrative" and "inner speech" (IS).
- Comparison of the hypothesis with findings in humans and non-human animals.
Main Results:
- Interpreting the internal narrative narrowly as IS faces challenges: developmental origins, individual variability, non-human DMN function, IS condensation, and limited neuroscientific support.
- A broader interpretation of the internal narrative as situation models is more robust.
- This broader view aligns better with other DMN theories and non-human primate findings.
Conclusions:
- The hypothesis that the DMN creates an ongoing internal narrative is challenged when defined strictly by inner speech (IS).
- A more inclusive definition, encompassing situation models influenced by language, offers a more viable framework.
- Further research is needed to refine and test this broader interpretation of the DMN's role.
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