Conference Agenda

The ability to think about the future across distant temporal horizons plays a central role in behavioral regulation, the construction of meaning in life, and the development of identity - core components of wisdom. Previous research on episodic future thinking (Milfont et al., in press) suggests that the content of reflection matters: contemplating the future of the natural environment fosters a more distant temporal perspective than thinking about one’s work future or the future in general. However, relatively little is known about the individual differences that shape the capacity for temporal travel.

The present preregistered experiment aims to replicate and extend prior findings (Milfont et al., in press) by examining dialogical flexibility as a moderator of temporal distance in future-oriented thinking. Dialogical flexibility is the ability to change perspectives based on the available I positions, thereby supporting flexible negotiation of meaning, values, and identity over time. A total of 528 participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions involving reflection on the future of the natural environment, the work environment, or the future in general. Temporal distance was analyzed using ordinal regression to allow for sensitive modeling of ordered time horizons. In addition, comparative analyses examined whether the experimental conditions differed with respect to a range of psychological variables: affect, temporal orientation, pro-environmental intentions, organizational engagement, meaning in life, dimensions of self-continuity, and internal dialogue activity. Between-group differences were tested using one-way analyses of variance.

We hypothesize that higher levels of dialogical flexibility will be associated with imagining the future across more distant temporal horizons, particularly in the natural environment condition. The findings are expected to advance understanding of how intrapsychic dialogical processes shape temporal perspective and contribute to identity, self-continuity, and meaning in life, offering both theoretical and methodological contributions to research on the dialogical self.

The study investigated how temporal mental simulation – specifically, aging oneself by 35 years and writing a letter from a future perspective – influences self-continuity and life's meaning. According to the Dialogue Self Theory, the self consists of multiple I-positions that engage in dialogue, collectively constructing the narrative of one’s life story. In this context, writing a future letter was seen as a way to induce dialogue between the current I-position and a future I-position, mentally simulating aging and integrating perspectives into a coherent life story. In an online preregistered experiment with 282 young adults aged 18–35, they were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (writing to their future self 35 years ahead) or a control group (describing their previous day to a friend). The study measured changes in self-continuity and life's meaning pre- and post-task, as well as differences in dialogical flexibility. Results showed an increase in self-continuity, linked to authenticity. A small rise in life's meaning was observed, more pronounced in the future letter group, and associated with authenticity, curiosity, depression, and positive emotions. Participants imagining their future reported higher future anxiety than the control group. No differences were found in dialogical flexibility. The findings suggest that mental temporal simulation activates dialogical identity processing and enhances self-continuity and, to some extent, life's meaning, while also influencing emotional reactions to the future. The future letter serves as a tool to temporarily privilege the future I-position and to bridge past, present, and future narratives.

According to Dialogical Self Theory, internal dialogical activity constitutes a foundation for identity processes; however, its impact on cognitive efficiency remains an area requiring detailed investigation. This study examines the role of intellectual humility – specifically the dimension of respect for others' viewpoints – as a boundary condition for the relationship between various types of internal dialogues (IDAS) and critical thinking performance (CThQ). Respect for others' viewpoints is treated here as a regulatory mechanism that determines how internal dialogical activity relates to the critical assessment of information.

The study was conducted among an adult sample using the Internal Dialogical Activity Scale (IDAS), the Comprehensive Intellectual Humility Scale (CIHS), and the Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ). The analysis focused on the Evaluating level of critical thinking, which involves the capacity to verify information, assess the credibility of sources, and weigh evidence.

The results revealed significant interaction effects across four types of internal activity. In the case of social, identity, and spontaneous dialogues, respect for others' viewpoints acted as a catalyst: among individuals with high levels of this trait, internal dialogical activity enhanced evaluation performance. Conversely, for those with low respect, increased dialogical activity was associated with diminished critical thinking efficiency. Furthermore, in the model of confronting dialogues (internal disputes between contrasting self-positions), respect functioned as a protective buffer, mitigating the cognitive costs typically associated with internal inconsistency and conflict.

These findings suggest that respect for external perspectives serves as a vital "operating system" for the Dialogical Self. It determines whether internal communication facilitates rational judgment or becomes a source of cognitive noise that hinders the evaluation of reality.

The concept of an internal dialogue is strongly rooted in Hermans’s Dialogical Self Theory (DST), according to which dialogical relations exist not only between the self and others (interpersonal dialogue), but also within the self (internal dialogue). Internal dialogues may be characterized by different levels of integration of voices and different levels of wisdom. The aim of the present study was to describe the relationship between integration and wisdom in internal dialogues.

According to Puchalska-Wasyl, integration consists of two co-occurring processes: extension and alignment of perspectives clashing in dialogue. In line with this approach, integrative internal dialogues conducted in conflict situations result in an agreement that takes into account the positions of each side of the conflict.

In turn, according to Grossmann, wise reasoning is conceptualized as a synthesis of four interrelated components: intellectual humility (acknowledging the limits of one’s knowledge), consideration of others’ perspectives, recognition of uncertainty and change, and the search for compromise/integration.

The present study was designed to address the question of to what extent an integrative internal dialogue concerning a conflict situation can also be considered a wise dialogue. The sample consisted of 160 participants (80 men) aged 19–26 years (M = 22.99, SD = 1.62). Four experimental conditions were distinguished (integration instruction, wisdom instruction, wisdom priming, and control), in which participants conducted an internal dialogue according to specific instructions. The written dialogues were evaluated by trained judges using wisdom indicators derived from Grossmann’s theoretical framework and subsequently compared across conditions. The presentation aims to discuss the results of this study in the context of DST.

This research aimed to compare narrativity (e.g. McAdams, 1985) and internal dialogical activity (e.g. Hermans, 1987) in solving life dilemmas (problems).

300 students, aged 18-53 were surveyed. Each participant was given a problem to solve (narrative or dialogical) and instructions: narrative (suggesting the creation of a story in which the individual incorporates the problem into his or her life, gives it meaning, and defines the role of other people in it) or dialogical (where the task is to conduct a dialogue with an important person about the problem situation and its solution). The experiment thus comprised four variants.

It was assumed that there is a cross-dependency between the type of problem (narrative vs. dialogue) and the quality of its solution (using narrative vs. dialogue), with more valuable solutions using narrative being generated for narrative-type problems, while more valuable solutions using internal dialogue being generated for dialogue-type problems.

A group of competent judges was appointed to evaluate the solutions. It was assumed that a good solution should be characterized by effectiveness, comprehensibility, realism, creativity (including the degree of identification with the problem) and implementation of the assumptions contained in the instructions. In addition, the narratives created were described in relation to six common features of stories developed by McAdams with the leading theme (redemption or contamination) and motifs (agency or communion) being identified. The dialogues, on the other hand, were described in terms of the type of internal dialogue activity (Oleś, 2009), their function and the type of internal interlocutor (Puchalska-Wasyl, 2008).

The hypotheses were confirmed. Higher-rated solutions were generated in cases where the type of problem and instructions were consistent. The results show the significant role of narratives and internal dialogues in solving life dilemmas, whereby it is important to match the way of solving to the type of problem.

The Dialogical Dilemma Solution (DDS) technique (Gabińska et al., 2024) is an experiential method based on Hermans’s Dialogical Self Theory (DST), which aims to facilitate decision-making processes. In the DDS technique problems are operationalized as intrapersonal decisional struggles – dilemmas between different I-positions, each having its origin in a relationship with a particular person significant for the individual.

The aim of the current study was to examine whether DDS technique might support senior high school students deciding on their future studies. It was expected, in line with the results of two previous research on DDS technique, that the level of negative emotions as well as doubts regarding what to study will significantly decrease after the intervention, while the level of problem understanding and decisiveness will grow. It was also hypothesized that the internal voices of parents will be more frequently observed in the imaginary dialogues than the voices of other people.

To test stated hypotheses, a quasi-experimental study with repeated measurements was conducted. 22 Participants – Lebanese high school seniors, aged 16-17 – completed online measures of affect and decision-making process twice, before and after DDS technique, which was conducted during counselling session via Skype.

Obtained results showed that after the intervention, students reported being closer to solving their problem together with significantly lower levels of negative emotions, doubts, and uncertainty around the decision, as well as higher levels of positive emotions, problem understanding, and decisiveness. In addition, as expected, parents were the main figures in their imaginary dialogues revealing that students’ choice of study is highly influenced by their parents’ voices.