Activation of the inner critic increases speech illusions and negative emotional valence of perceived speech

June Engeland; Andrew Allen; Rachel Brand

doi:10.1111/papt.70007

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Activation of the inner critic increases speech illusions and negative emotional valence of perceived speech

Journal article

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Activation of the inner critic increases speech illusions and negative emotional valence of perceived speech

June Engeland, Andrew Allen and Rachel Brand

Psychology and Psychotherapy, Vol.99(1), pp.80-96

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.70007

PMCID: PMC12905514

PMID: 40823733

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

schema therapy

experimental

inner critic

speech illusions

auditory hallucinations

schema modes

UniSC Diversity Area - Disability and Inclusion

Objectives Research consistently reports an association between auditory hallucinations and traumatic experiences, yet the psychological mechanisms underpinning this relationship remain poorly understood. Empirical evidence suggests that enduring dispositions, including early maladaptive schemas, interact with immediate stressors to elicit auditory hallucinations. The inner critic represents the activation of such enduring dispositions and concurs with common themes in auditory hallucinations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the inner critic on speech illusions and the emotional valence of perceived words. Design A quasi-experimental design was utilised. Methods Forty-two non-clinical participants (67.40% female, Mage = 29.63) completed self-report questionnaires measuring predisposition to hallucination-like experiences, self-criticism and demanding and punitive parent schema modes. Participants then completed an auditory perception task, the Babble Task, inducing speech illusions before and after an inner critic imagery manipulation. Results A mixed factorial analysis of variance revealed a significant main effect of the inner critic manipulation on speech illusions, with participants reporting more speech illusions after the manipulation. Participants scoring high on the demanding parent mode reported more speech illusions overall. Linguistic analysis of speech illusions demonstrated an increase in negative tone across groups following the inner critic manipulation. Conclusions While acknowledging concerns regarding the convergent validity of the Babble Task, these findings add nuance to existing theories by suggesting that an activated inner critic impairs source monitoring and shapes the content of ensuing auditory intrusions. Additionally, the findings indicate the inner critic as a potential target for treatment in distressing auditory hallucinations.

Details

Title: Activation of the inner critic increases speech illusions and negative emotional valence of perceived speech
Authors: June Engeland - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Law and Society
Andrew Allen - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
Rachel Brand (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
Publication details: Psychology and Psychotherapy, Vol.99(1), pp.80-96
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.1111/papt.70007
ISSN: 2044-8341
PMID: 40823733; PMC12905514
Copyright note: © 2025 The Author(s). Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Psychological Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Grant note: Funding was received from the School of Health Honours and Masters Funding Support at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
Organisation Unit: Thompson Institute; School of Health - Psychology; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991153703502621
Output Type: Journal article

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