Older adults' audible self-talk when alone: associations with interpersonal tensions

Older adults generally report positive relationship experiences, yet they still encounter interpersonal tensions that can undermine well-being. When faced with such tensions, they often draw on effective strategies that avoid confrontation. Audible self-talk may represent an adaptive strategy that warrants research attention.

A sample of 286 participants (Mage = 74.11) completed an initial interview indicating overall interpersonal tensions within their social networks and demographic characteristics. Then, they reported daily interpersonal tensions and mood every 3 hr for 5-6 consecutive days, while the Electronically Activated Recorder captured 30-s ambient sound snippets every 7 min. Audible self-talk was defined as speech occurring during a 3-hr interval when participants had no in-person or phone social contact.

Main analyses focused on a subsample who spent time alone during the study period (n = 149); this subsample did not differ from the larger sample in social network interpersonal tensions. ordinary least squares regressions showed that participants with higher overall interpersonal tensions in their social networks engaged in more frequent audible self-talk over the study period. Multilevel models revealed that on days when participants encountered more interpersonal tensions, they exhibited more self-talk. Encountering more interpersonal tensions was associated with lower positive mood on days with less frequent self-talk, yet this association was attenuated on days with more frequent self-talk.

Audible self-talk co-occurs with interpersonal tensions and may be linked to the preservation of positive mood when these tensions arise in late life.