The Voices Within

Bias

Telling the Real From the Unreal

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on June 30, 2014

As demonstrated in a recent study, a negative mood can affect your ability to distinguish between an event that really happened and one that you just imagined. This could in turn help us to understand how negative emotions can trigger voice-hearing experiences.

As demonstrated in a recent study, a negative mood can affect your ability to distinguish between an event that really happened and one that you just imagined. This could in turn help us to understand how negative emotions can trigger voice-hearing experiences.

Psychiatry

What Kinds of People Hear Voices?

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on June 28, 2014

It is often assumed that voice-hearing necessarily indicates severe mental illness. A growing body of scientific research shows that this is not the case, and that voice-hearing can be part of many ordinary people's everyday lives.

It is often assumed that voice-hearing necessarily indicates severe mental illness. A growing body of scientific research shows that this is not the case, and that voice-hearing can be part of many ordinary people's everyday lives.

Media

Voices in the News

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on June 8, 2014

Media portrayals of people who hear voices do not match up with scientific knowledge about the experience. Negative effects of stigmatization may be exacerbated as a result.

Media portrayals of people who hear voices do not match up with scientific knowledge about the experience. Negative effects of stigmatization may be exacerbated as a result.

Cognition

Describing Obama

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on February 4, 2014

It's one thing having 'mind-reading' or 'theory of mind' skills; it's another thing to be able or willing to use them in social situations. Mind-mindedness refers to an individual's willingness to deploy their mentalizing skills in interactions with others. A new study suggests that it might be a feature of close relationships rather than a general trait.

It's one thing having 'mind-reading' or 'theory of mind' skills; it's another thing to be able or willing to use them in social situations. Mind-mindedness refers to an individual's willingness to deploy their mentalizing skills in interactions with others. A new study suggests that it might be a feature of close relationships rather than a general trait.

Self-Talk

Do Deaf People Hear an Inner Voice?

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on January 24, 2014

People affected by hearing loss report hearing a voice in their head, just as hearing people do. The qualities of that experience are varied, just as they are for hearing people.

People affected by hearing loss report hearing a voice in their head, just as hearing people do. The qualities of that experience are varied, just as they are for hearing people.

Play

Where Do All the Words Come From?

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on January 18, 2014

Scientists are beginning to understand why our heads are full of words. Developmental psychologists have uncovered clues to the origins of inner speech and how it might come to serve various functions in thinking. Cognitive neuroscientists are investigating how inner speech might play a role in 'hearing voices' or auditory verbal hallucinations.

Scientists are beginning to understand why our heads are full of words. Developmental psychologists have uncovered clues to the origins of inner speech and how it might come to serve various functions in thinking. Cognitive neuroscientists are investigating how inner speech might play a role in 'hearing voices' or auditory verbal hallucinations.

Memory

The Art and Science of Memory

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on March 18, 2013

Autobiographical memories are reconstructions of past events which have a particular phenomenology: a 'what it is like' quality. To understand them fully, therefore, we need to draw on insights from the humanities as well as the sciences.

Autobiographical memories are reconstructions of past events which have a particular phenomenology: a 'what it is like' quality. To understand them fully, therefore, we need to draw on insights from the humanities as well as the sciences.

Attachment

What Determines a Baby's Attachment Security?

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on February 4, 2013

Mind-mindedness is a multidimensional construct representing caregivers' willingness to take the perspective of their offspring. In a longitudinal study, different profiles of mind-mindedness predicted the quality of infant–mother attachment.

Mind-mindedness is a multidimensional construct representing caregivers' willingness to take the perspective of their offspring. In a longitudinal study, different profiles of mind-mindedness predicted the quality of infant–mother attachment.

Attachment

Rethinking Sensitivity

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on January 22, 2013

Mary Ainsworth's original definition of parental sensitivity emphasized the appropriateness of a mother's responses to her baby, but some of those original nuances have been lost in more recent research. Mind-mindedness refers to parents' ability to tune in sensitively to what their babies are thinking and feeling, and it appears to be an important factor in development.

Mary Ainsworth's original definition of parental sensitivity emphasized the appropriateness of a mother's responses to her baby, but some of those original nuances have been lost in more recent research. Mind-mindedness refers to parents' ability to tune in sensitively to what their babies are thinking and feeling, and it appears to be an important factor in development.

Neuroscience

Putting Neuroscience Into the Story

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on April 1, 2012

What influence does neuroscience have on our understanding of our own everyday thoughts and behavior? To my mind, the best way of assessing the importance of these ideas is by putting them into fiction.

What influence does neuroscience have on our understanding of our own everyday thoughts and behavior? To my mind, the best way of assessing the importance of these ideas is by putting them into fiction.

Memory

Planning it out in words

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on May 25, 2011

Do children think in words when planning how to solve a puzzle? A recent study looked at this issue by blocking children's use of speech to regulate their behavior. When children were not able to use words to plan, they did not do so well on the task.

Do children think in words when planning how to solve a puzzle? A recent study looked at this issue by blocking children's use of speech to regulate their behavior. When children were not able to use words to plan, they did not do so well on the task.

Memory

Moonwalking with Simonides

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on April 23, 2011

The method of loci (as featured in Joshua Foer's recent bestseller) has a long pedigree as a tool for memory improvement. It is usually associated with a lucky escape, and a superhuman act of remembering, on the part of the 5th century BC poet, Simonides of Ceos. But how did the myth of Simonides come about?

The method of loci (as featured in Joshua Foer's recent bestseller) has a long pedigree as a tool for memory improvement. It is usually associated with a lucky escape, and a superhuman act of remembering, on the part of the 5th century BC poet, Simonides of Ceos. But how did the myth of Simonides come about?

Cognition

Martha's memories

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on April 17, 2011

Autobiographical memories are sensitive to the context in which they were encoded. For people who learn a second language, the first language may be a strong cue to their earliest memories.

Autobiographical memories are sensitive to the context in which they were encoded. For people who learn a second language, the first language may be a strong cue to their earliest memories.

Pregnancy

Where mind-mindedness comes from

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on March 22, 2011

Mind-mindedness refers to parents' tendency to treat their children as individuals with minds of their own. In a new study, we set out to investigate whether individual differences in maternal mind-mindedness relate to mothers' attitudes to their babies before they are born.

Mind-mindedness refers to parents' tendency to treat their children as individuals with minds of their own. In a new study, we set out to investigate whether individual differences in maternal mind-mindedness relate to mothers' attitudes to their babies before they are born.

Cognition

Twittering out loud

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on February 20, 2011

Children and adults talk to themselves out loud, and they appear to gain cognitive benefits from doing so. Could tweeting achieve the same ends?

Children and adults talk to themselves out loud, and they appear to gain cognitive benefits from doing so. Could tweeting achieve the same ends?

Memory

Remembering Events that Never Happened

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on February 17, 2011

Many people report memories which they have ceased to believe as true, and yet continue to experience as memories. Some recent research shows that these 'nonbelieved' memories share many characteristics with ordinary 'true' memories.

Many people report memories which they have ceased to believe as true, and yet continue to experience as memories. Some recent research shows that these 'nonbelieved' memories share many characteristics with ordinary 'true' memories.

Memory

Talking about the past

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on December 15, 2010

Toddlers get involved in conversations about past events from an early age. These conversations about the past are initially quite heavily structured by caregivers, but children become more equal partners in them through the preschool years. The quality of these conversations seems to be important for children's later memory.

Toddlers get involved in conversations about past events from an early age. These conversations about the past are initially quite heavily structured by caregivers, but children become more equal partners in them through the preschool years. The quality of these conversations seems to be important for children's later memory.

Freudian Psychology

The shifting boundary of childhood amnesia

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on December 2, 2010

When you ask people to recall their earliest experiences, they rarely report memories dating from much before about three years of age. Why do adults suffer from this forgetfulness?

When you ask people to recall their earliest experiences, they rarely report memories dating from much before about three years of age. Why do adults suffer from this forgetfulness?

Attention

Voices in the head

Charles Fernyhough Ph.D. on November 15, 2010

In my last post, I asked whether some of the mysteries of thinking and inner speech can begin to be resolved when we consider how inner speech takes different forms. This time, I want to ask whether this view of inner speech can make sense of a puzzling and often very troubling experience: auditory verbal hallucinations.

In my last post, I asked whether some of the mysteries of thinking and inner speech can begin to be resolved when we consider how inner speech takes different forms. This time, I want to ask whether this view of inner speech can make sense of a puzzling and often very troubling experience: auditory verbal hallucinations.

We don't think hard enough about what we mean by the term "thinking." And if we're not clear enough, the age-old question of how language is involved in cognition becomes very messy.