Deep dialogism, inner voices, and mental health
Mind & Language April 25, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/mila.70035 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that cognition can be dialogic, involving internal voices, and proposes two dimensions—strength and depth—to characterize dialogism. Contends that a deep form of dialogism, with a developmental interpretation, helps explain psychological experiences and mental health conditions. |
Abstract
The idea that cognition involves dialogic interchange between mutually influencing “voices” has long featured in psychology and philosophy. While dialogic structure is most explicit in inner speech, some authors have argued that other types of mental activity can be (or always are) dialogic. We introduce two dimensions of dialogism, strength and depth, and characterize a particularly deep form of dialogism of the mind. We offer a developmental interpretation of deep dialogism and show how this form of dialogism has important payoffs for explaining the mechanisms and the phenomenology of human psychological experiences in general and mental health conditions in particular.