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Weekend


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January 23, 2004

Strange But True!

  • A weekly column of incidental information, off-the-wall observations and other random facts about the world.
    • By BILL SONES and RICH SONES, Ph.D.
    Special to the Journal

    Q. Lots of people go around talking to themselves. Who are these people? Are they dangerous?

    A. They're children and possibly many adults, maybe even YOU. The Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky suggested that this "private speech" is a stand-in for the helpful guiding speech that children often receive from parents and caregivers, says Washington State University psychologist Andrew Lotto. This self-directed speech is a way to guide activities and structure thought. Researchers have demonstrated that self-talk in children increases when task difficulty increases, and children who use private speech in tasks often show the greatest increase in performance.


     
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