Student Self-Talk and Classroom Success

            In this American Journal of Education article, Benjamin Uhrich (University of North Carolina/Charlotte) and seven colleagues say that “self-talk is ubiquitous in human beings and plays a role in virtually all learning functions… [It’s a] free-flowing internal dialogue that guides our behavior and future thoughts, for better or for worse.” 

            The researchers studied college students’ use of self-talk when faced with difficult situations, and its effect on their: 

• School satisfaction – How happy students were with their educational experience; 
• Self-efficacy – Students’ belief they were capable of successfully achieving goals; 
• Academic performance – Success at reasoning, cognitive development, planning, motivation, self-regulation, metacognition, executive function, and grades. 

            Uhrich et al. analyzed 1,092 self-talk responses from 177 undergraduates at a small liberal arts college in the southeastern U.S. Here are some examples: 

• I am thinking I can handle this. 
• I can do this if I keep trying. 
• I am so worried. But I need to focus now. 
• This is not what I was planning on, but oh well, it is what it is. I’ll have to get started studying immediately and make sure to eliminate as many distractions as I can. The key is not to stress out more than is necessary. Just keep calm and let’s take a deep breath and get to it. 
• This class is the worst. I feel like I’m going to die. I’m bored and feel like I’m wasting my time with this class. 
• Oh s---, I’m screwed. This test will ruin my grade in the class and absolutely kill my GPA. Why didn’t I study before today? I always do this to myself. I never should have taken this class. I hate this school. 
• I’m so dumb. 

            What were the results of the study? Uhrich and colleagues found that downbeat self-talk had a negative effect on students’ school satisfaction and self-efficacy, but not on their grades and GPA. As for positive inner speech, the researchers found “consistent and robust relationships between self-talk and academic satisfaction, self-efficacy, and performance.” Students can use constructive self-talk to regulate thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, which will boost school satisfaction, a growth mindset, and grades. 

            The researchers’ conclusion for K-12 as well as college settings: “Self-talk is a unique and influential construct that should be of interest to academics and practitioners across the disciplines of psychology and education… Self-talk is not a mere repackaging of personality traits, nor skills or strategies people use to optimize their performance… Interventions that promote adaptive self-talk in the context of the school setting have the potential to be transformative.” 

 “The Power of Inner Voice: Examining Self-Talk’s Relationship with Academic Outcomes” by Benjamin Uhrich, Sandra Rogelberg, Steven Rogelberg, John Kello, Eleanor Williams, Shahar Gur, Leann Caudill, and Miles Moffit in American Journal of Education, November 2023 (Vol. 130, #1, pp. 31-60); Uhrich can be reached at benjaminuhrich@hotmail.com.

Please Note: This summary is reprinted with permission from issue #1017 of The Marshall Memo, an excellent resource for educators.