Internal Dialogue, Creative Potential, and Creative Achievement

Abstract

Internal dialogue, the verbal intrapersonal communication among our inner voices, characterizes and influences creative thinking. Open questions remain, however, about how individual differences in internal dialogical activity relate to creative thinking. A survey study ( N  =  325) was therefore conducted to explore the correlations between individual differences in internal dialogical activity, creative potential, and creative achievement. The results showed that internal dialogical activity correlated positively with creative achievement, which can be explained by a disposition to dialogically engage with thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Internal dialogical activity also correlated positively with originality during divergent thinking, which can be explained by a disposition to experience many types of internal dialogues. Supportive internal dialogical activity positively correlated with the production of many diverse responses. No correlations were found with convergent thinking. Herewith, the present study contributes novel insight into the relationship between internal dialogical activity, creative potential, and achievement.