Self-Reported Inner Speech Illuminates the Frequency and Content of Self-as-Subject and Self-as-Object Experiences

Although several attempts have been made to explain the nature of self-as-subject and self-as-object experiences, the examination of specific manifestations of these experiences in everyday life remains understudied. In this brief article, I used preexisting data pertaining to self-reported inner speech as a window into what self-as-subject and self-as-object experiences look like in terms of their typical content and frequency. Self-as-subject refers to the self immersed in current perception of the world accompanied by minimal self-awareness, whereas self-as-object designates a state of self taking itself as the object of its own attention (James, 1890). One observation is that self-reported inner speech instances of self-as-subject experiences were much more frequent than self-as-object experiences, possibly because it is more advantageous to be immersed in experience while engaged in activities as opposed to self-reflecting about these activities; another possibility is that our participants were more immersed in their experience (self-as-subject) when answering the prompts "I talk to myself about, because, and when," which may not encourage reporting self-as-object experiences. A second observation is that self-experiences as subject and object consisted in several everyday activities and self-reflective practices typical of university students, such as one's emotions, current self, studying, leisure, remembering, problem solving, and planning. I conclude that recoding self-reported inner speech instances with reference to self-as-subject and self-as-object experiences represents a fruitful research avenue but note that such data should be gathered in nonstudent populations.