Private Speech: From Social Interaction To Self-regulation

Since the publication of Vygotsky’s Thought and Language in the United States, a number of North American and European investigators have conducted systematic observations of children’s spontaneous private speech, giving substantial support to Vygotsky’s major hypotheses — particularly those regarding the social origins of higher psychological functions. However, there still remain many vital questions about the origins, significance, and functions of private speech: How can social and private speech be validly differentiated? What kinds of social interactions promote the use of private speech? What are the sources of individual differences in the use of private speech? This unique volume addresses these and many other important questions. Characterized by a strong emphasis on original data, it reports on systematic observations of spontaneous private speech in children and adults in both laboratory and naturalistic settings. In addition to its systematic analysis of common methodological problems in the field, the book contains the most comprehensive bibliography of the private speech literature currently available.

Table of Contents:
Contents: R.M. Diaz, L.E. Berk, Introduction. Part I: Theory, Method, and A Review of Research.L.E. Berk, Children's Private Speech: An Overview of Theory and the Status of Research. R.M. Diaz, Methodological Concerns in the Study of Private Speech. Part II: Social Origins and Self-Regulatory Functions.D.A. Behrend, K.S. Rosengren, M. Perlmutter, The Relation Between Private Speech and Parental Interactive Style. M. Azmitia, Expertise, Private Speech, and the Development of Self-Regulation. F. Smolucha, Social Origins of Private Speech in Pretend Play. D. Furrow, Developmental Trends in the Differentiation of Social and Private Speech. J.A. Bivens, F. Hagstrom, The Representation of Private Speech in Children's Literature. Part III: Structural and Linguistic Features.P. Feigenbaum, Development of the Syntactic and Discourse Structures of Private Speech. J.D. Ramirez, The Functional Differentiation of Social and Private Speech: A Dialogic Approach. P.P. Goudena, The Problem of Abbreviation and Internalization of Private Speech. D.J. Skotko, Structural Properties of Verbal Commands and Their Effects on the Regulation of Motor Behavior. Part IV: Recent Evidence Regarding Piaget's Position.A. Richelle Warren, C. Satterfield Tate, Egocentrism in Children's Telephone Conversations. Part V:Private Speech in Adulthood.P.S. Fry, Assessment of Private and Inner Speech of Older Adults in Relation to Depression. V. John-Steiner, Private Speech Among Adults.

About the Author :
Rafael M. Diaz, Laura E. Berk, Rafael Diaz

Review :
"...an important contribution to the study of the origins of thought....an edited volume conceived within the intellectual tradition of Vygotsky. For anyone interested either in recent thinking within Vygotsky's theory or in cognitive development, this is an important book. Clinicians are likely to have particular interest in the chapters on private speech in older populations and on the influence of environmental factors on private speech." —ASHA "Its two chapters offer a comprehensive examination of private speech theory and research and an analysis of challenging methodological issues that must be resolved to advance the field....Several chapters add to the literature documenting the central role of private speech in problem solving and highlight the multiple ways in which private speech serves as a self-regulatory tool." —Communication Abstracts