Why we talk to ourselves

Guests: Ethan Kross, Charles Fernyhough, Alexandra Horowitz

Do you talk to yourself? Many of us do when were at work, driving, or home alone. Far from a sign of mental illness, psychologists say that self talk is totally normal and useful for managing our emotions, helping us learn and remember, and setting goals. Today we’ll talk about talking to ourselves. Our guests are ETHAN KROSS, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, and CHARLES FERNYHOUGH, professor at Durham University and author of The Voices Within.  And we’ll ask ALEXANDRA HOROWITZ, a cognitive scientist who researches dog cognition, about why we talk to our pets.