Inner Voice Shows More Complexity Than Initially Believed: It's Not Just Words

In the realm of cognitive psychology, understanding the intricate relationship between verbal and visual thinking has become a topic of great interest. This article explores the findings of various studies that shed light on this fascinating interplay.

Object manipulation, the mental process of interacting with physical objects, serves as the bridge between our intent to act and the dexterous control over our hands (or other body parts) to grasp, move, shape, or otherwise influence the position or state of an object. This process, according to research, is closely linked to our visual thinking abilities.

Visual thinking, an ancient mode of cognition that predates verbal thinking, is generally the go-to process for the brain when it comes to processes like episodic memory. It plays a massive role in other mental processes like object manipulation and self-projection.

On the other hand, verbal thinking involves an inner dialogue, often experienced as a personal guide or multiple voices. Not everyone thinks primarily in inner speech, with studies suggesting that only approximately 30 to 50 percent of individuals perceive their thoughts through inner speech. Dr. Hélène Lœvenbruck, a neurolinguistics researcher, explains that inner monologue as private speech that's addressed to oneself and carried out without any articulation or sound.

The study unveiled an asymmetrical relationship between the two, highlighting that even when intentionally engaging in verbal thought processes, visual thinking almost always emerges as a by-product. This suggests that our minds are not as one-dimensional as we might believe; there exists an interplay between the two modes of verbal and visual thinking.

Researchers from Brown University, Harvard Medical School, MIT, and the Massachusetts General Hospital set up a study to explore the extent of overlap between verbal and visual thinking. While some aspects of self-projection involve a verbal component, a significant portion of self-projection is visual. Self-projection is a cognitive mechanism used to explore and plan for future possibilities, foster behaviors, and set goals for oneself.

In a separate study, researchers at the University of the Arts Berlin (UdK Berlin) have been involved in projects reflecting on political engagement and possibly related cognitive dimensions. However, a specific study project on the connection between verbal and visual thinking is not explicitly mentioned in the results.

Object manipulation can range from basic activities of daily living like picking up a toothbrush to more intricate tasks like typing using a keyboard. The brain's ability to coordinate visual, tactile, and motor information is crucial for successful object manipulation.

Interestingly, the inner voice can have various qualities, such as being heard in different voices or taking the form of an old Italian couple, as highlighted in a Guardian article. This adds another layer of complexity to our understanding of verbal thinking.

In conclusion, the relationship between verbal and visual thinking is a complex and fascinating area of study. While we may predominantly perceive our thoughts through one mode, it's clear that our minds are constantly interacting and blending these two modes in ways we may not even realise.