Not Everyone Has an Inner Voice Streaming Through Their Head

Some people do not experience inner speech as commonly assumed, with variations in the intensity of inner voices affecting cognitive tasks. A study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Copenhagen found that individuals with weak inner voices performed worse on tasks like verbal memory compared to those with strong inner voices. Inner speech is believed to play a role in self-regulation, executive functioning, and decision-making. The study suggests that lacking inner speech can impact cognitive performance. Researchers are exploring objective measures of inner speech differences, such as using brain imaging techniques. The findings may have implications for understanding conditions like aphasia and for educational practices. While some propose naming the absence of inner speech "anendophasia" to facilitate research, others caution against pathologizing individual differences in inner experiences. Further research is needed to explore the full spectrum of inner speech variations and their cognitive implications.