Study: Students Who Talk to Themselves Perform Better Academically

Students who mutter to themselves in class may actually perform certain tasks better than quiet kids because language is a stimulant that can guide self-speakers through their thought processes, researchers claim.

The study, conducted by George Mason University psychology professor Adam Winsler, showed 78 percent of 5-year-olds performed motor tasks similarly or better when they talked to themselves aloud than when they were quiet.

Winsler said the children found it "surprisingly difficult" to do the same tasks when instructed not to speak aloud. Language is linked to environmental stimuli and people guide their thought-processes with words, he said.

"Language helps us to distance ourselves from the perceptual world in a way that's more abstract, more uniquely human," he said.

Winsler said adults should talk to themselves in times of stress or anxiety because it helps them focus and solve problems, but said adults who talk "excessively" and hold lengthy conversations with themselves may be suffering from schizophrenia.

However, parents should not misinterpret children talking to themselves as a cry for help, he said.

"Parents should let their children be in such cases," he said. "It's better for their own learning, their own sense of work and individual accomplishment."

Teachers usually cautious about noisy classrooms should not stifle self-speech, Winsler said. Listening could provide insight into students' thought-processes and can help assess their progress and how they approach tasks.

Boston University School of Education math education associate professor Suzanne Chapin said articulation and reflection are crucial when trying to master complex mathematical concepts.

"Talking to children, encouraging discussion and facilitating understanding is already extremely beneficial," she said.

New York University alumnus Enrique Padilla said he talks to himself and said he uses self-speech to engage in a topic at hand.

"I always just found it all the more engaging while I was trying to learn something on my own," he said. "And if anyone every saw me talking to myself and looked at me funny, I'd think, oh well."

 

 

New York Times.