Conference Agenda

The idea that the essence of the self can be located within the narratives individuals construct in response to the question “Who am I?” has been conceptualized as the narrative self (Bruner, 1990, 2002; Crossley, 2000; Gergen & Gergen, 1983, 1988; McAdams, 1985, 1993). Narratives of the self are commonly formed through a dialogical process involving two interrelated perspectives: how the self is perceived by others (“me”) and how the self understands itself (“I”) (Hermans & Kempen, 1993; Hermans, 2001). While such expressions are often shared through language, self-expression is not limited to linguistic forms alone. In response to this broader understanding of self-expression, the present study adopts a visual narrative approach, which recognizes visual imagery as a meaningful medium for narrating the self. Visual narratives refer both to the act of expressing events, experiences, beliefs, and values through images and to the visual artifacts produced through this expressive process. This study examines expressions of the self as they emerge within childcare as a social practice, drawing on visual data produced by nursery teachers in Japan. Participants created drawings depicting aspects of their work that they valued most. The study consisted of two components: (1) the creation of drawings representing participants’ childcare practices across the past, present, and future, and (2) focus group interviews in which participants reflected on and discussed their drawings. Analysis of the drawings revealed multiple dimensions of the self, including the observing self, guiding self, cultivating self, co-growing self, and embracing self. These findings demonstrate the potential of visual narrative methods to capture the self as intertwined with time, place, events, and relationships with others. Future research should further examine the relationship between modes of self that appear contemporaneously and those that emerge teleologically, within ongoing social practices.

In an era of global changes and mental health challenges, clinicians strive to reflect the emerging realities in their areas of practice and inquiry. As a practitioner, what I find largely defining the process, and potentially the outcome of psychotherapy, is: a) the relational space between me and my client, b) the relational space within my different selves, and c) the interconnectedness of these relational spaces. In my doctoral research, I used the concept of relational space, which includes human and non-human elements, verbal and non-verbal interactions, emotions, embodied responses... and more. In order to study the complex encounter of relational spaces in the therapy room, in my doctoral research I used stories about an event that occurred during a therapy session or about something I reflected on about a particular client or a particular session. In these autoethnographic stories, the focus is not on the therapy techniques, nor on the client’s difficulties. Instead, the focus is on the relational conversation between my client and myself, as well as on how my dialogical self emerges in the therapy room, my inner dialogue and thoughts and feelings. In a way, what I am trying to do is create a professionally employable space for the personal. The collaborative dialogue between these relational spaces as shown in autoethnographic stories creates relational ripples, which in turn open up possibilities and generate transformative practices in the psychotherapy process. Writing autoethnographic stories and their use in my practice and in my inquiry is a methodological tool, applicable and useful to other practitioners, who need to respond to current mental health challenges.

This study examines how secondary school teachers integrate GenAI into the design of learning activities after participating in a targeted training program. Using a qualitative design, approximately 30 teachers redesign a previously used learning situation by incorporating a structured framework that regulates students use of GenAI. Data are collected through pre- and post-design artifacts and semi-structured interviews. The analysis focuses on identifying the dialogical dynamics underlying teachers decision-making, exploring how different voices, such as institutional expectations, pedagogical beliefs, prior experience, and emerging technological affordances, interact, conflict, and become integrated in the design process. The study also examines how GenAI itself may function as a new “voice” within the self, influencing instructional choices and representations of learning. This research contributes to DST by extending its application to the domain of educational technology design, an area still underexplored. It provides empirical evidence on how dialogical processes operate in real educational contexts when professionals face disruptive tools such as GenAI. Furthermore, it offers insights into how structured frameworks can mediate these dialogical processes, supporting more reflective and intentional pedagogical integration of technology

This research analyzes the emergence and transformation of diverse masculinities in LGTBI movement activists in three Colombian cities and integrates the perspective of the Dialogic Self (Hermans, 2003) with the Equifinal Trajectory Model (Tsuchimoto & Sato, 2024). The study conceives identity not as a static entity, but as a process of dynamic semiosis (Valsiner, 2024). Through a qualitative multiple case study design, the life narratives of three leaders were explored, examining how their positions of the Self: Me as a man, Me as gay, Me as an activist, constantly negotiate with the social voices of heteronormativity. The results reveal that the construction of dissident identity is an “act of meaning” where the subject transforms cultural tensions into a personal-collective synthesis. The analysis of the trajectories reveals critical bifurcations where the internal dialogue between conflicting positions—fear of rejection vs. desire for authenticity—precipitates the reaffirmation of the Self in meso-systemic ecological environments. It is concluded that activism functions as a semiotic resource that allows the reconfiguration of the subject's polyphony, validating forms of existence that challenge the monologism of hegemonic masculinity.

Contemporary educational environments are characterized by rapid transformation and crisis conditions that challenge the stability of educators’ professional identity. These challenges are especially evident in contexts of social disruption such as the current transformations affecting the Ukrainian educational system. In such contexts, educators are required not only to adapt to institutional changes but also to reconsider the meanings and values that shape their professional roles.

This paper examines the development of educators’ professional identity from the perspective of dialogical self theory and proposes the concept of dialogical self-authorship as a psychological mechanism underlying this process. To the author’s knowledge, the concept of dialogical self-authorship has not yet been systematically conceptualized in studies of educators’ professional identity.

The dialogical self is understood as a dynamic multiplicity of relatively autonomous I-positions that interact within an internal dialogical space. In professional contexts, these positions may represent different roles, expectations, and value orientations related to educational practice.

Dialogical self-authorship is defined as the process through which educators construct an authorial professional stance by reflexively integrating multiple professional I-positions. This process begins with the recognition of contradictions within professional experience and develops through internal dialogue and reflective reinterpretation of professional meanings.

The paper presents a conceptual model of dialogical self-authorship that includes four components: problem-actualization, dialogical-reflective interaction of I-positions, integrative meaning construction, and authorial professional positioning. Through these processes educators develop the capacity to interpret professional challenges and construct a coherent professional position. The emergence of a reflective meta-position enables educators to coordinate multiple I-positions and assume an authorial stance toward their professional development.

The study also proposes criteria for assessing dialogical self-authorship, including reflective awareness, dialogical positioning, integration of professional meanings, professional self-efficacy, and readiness for professional development.

In whole-class instruction, lessons are conducted primarily using an IRE structure of communication (Mehan, 1979), which involves an exchange consisting of the teacher’s “initiation,” the child’s “reply,” and further “evaluation” by the teacher. When a designated child speaks, other children acting as listeners are required to listen to the conversation. Children acting as listeners can also contribute significantly to the lesson’s progression by making various statements, offering opinions to the speaker, and guiding discussions (Nakata, 1996). Utterances from listeners deviating from the routine play a major role in lesson progression, and listener utterances influence both the lesson’s flow and learning (Yokoyama, 2023).

This study focused on listeners’ utterances directed at speakers outside the routine, and examined how these utterances refine and share the speaker’s ideas. When a speaker explains their thoughts or illustrates them using a diagram, listeners sometimes rephrase the speaker’s ideas. This study clarified how the speaker’s ideas become refined through this listener-initiated “rephrasing.” To achieve this, classroom observations of third-grade mathematics lessons were conducted, and case studies were analyzed to examine speakers’ and corresponding listeners’ opinions. Specifically, this study examined two points: 1. How are speakers’ opinions rephrased? and 2. How are speakers’ opinions shared with the class after being rephrased by the listener?

The results showed that when the speaker explained their devised solution to the whole class, the listeners verbalized the diagrams, named the solution method, and paraphrased the speaker’s opinion while supplementing it. By incorporating the listener’s “paraphrasing,” the speaker’s initially conceived idea became refined and clarified. It can be considered that aspects of the speaker'’ thinking are brought into relief through the listener adding various interpretations.

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute mental states such as desires, intentions, and perspectives, to other people. It may be the case that one’s ToM facilitates the self in organizing itself as a dynamic, dialogical multiplicity of interacting positions. However, existing ToM measures are largely based on a priori notions of what researchers conceive as ToM – which may leave out aspects of ToM, potentially biasing investigations of this relationship. Therefore, we set out to investigate ToM in what we hope is a more ecologically valid method, using open-ended reports in order to conceive a new ToM measure that can advance understanding of relationships between ToM and the Dialogical Self. After analyzing open-ended reports (N = 1969 instances) for ground-up theme emergence, and developing as well as collecting data on 83 representative questionnaire items, we ran preliminary Exploratory Factor Analysis (N = 566 MRU student participants) on the items to see if factors would be extracted. The EFA extracted fairly strong factors in line with the typically reported ToM constructs of Goals and Desires, Intentions, and Empathy, as well as Perspective Taking. The EFA also extracted a fairly strong ToM factor not common to the literature, representing a construct we termed About Me. Further, the EFA revealed potential factors around the uncommonly reported constructs of Mental Time Travel, Inner Experiences, Appearances, and Context. Finally, weaker extracted factors involved Social Comparison, as well as Behaviour, and Attributes. As this is only a preliminary analysis, next steps include more EFA models and Confirmatory Factor Analysis to gain more clarity on what is presented here. Although preliminary, this study has implications for advancing Dialogical Self theory, even if in a modest capacity.

Background: Intellectual humility (IH) involves the awareness of one’s intellectual fallibility and openness to revising viewpoints. While personality traits like Machiavellianism are known to negatively predict IH, less is known about the psychological resources that can buffer this effect. This study investigates the role of dialogical flexibility (DF) — the ability to shift between I-positions and constructively transform internal dialogues — as a potential moderator in this relationship.

Method: The study was conducted on a diverse sample of N=619 adults (M=41.2; SD=11.22; 51% female) recruited via the Ariadna platform. Participants completed the Dialogical Flexibility Scale (DFS), the General Intellectual Humility Scale (GIHS), and the Two-Dimensional Machiavellianism Scale (TDMS).

Results: Consistent with expectations, Machiavellianism (both in terms of views and tactics) was a significant negative predictor of intellectual humility. However, moderation analysis revealed that dialogical flexibility significantly buffers this relationship. For individuals with high DF, the negative impact of Machiavellian tendencies on IH was significantly diminished compared to those with low DF.

Conclusions: The findings suggest that the mere presence of internal dialogues is insufficient for intellectual growth; rather, it is the quality and flexibility of these dialogues that support IH. Dialogical flexibility serves as a protective resource, making the dialogical mind more resilient to manipulative tendencies and more open to epistemic revision. These results offer a new perspective on the Dark Triad and internal dialogical activity by highlighting DF as a potential target for interventions aimed at fostering humility and protecting against manipulation.

This study investigates parent-child dynamism and internal self-negotiation among 30 Japanese mothers of children aged 0–12, focusing on their narratives regarding "Shiage-migaki" (maternal toothbrushing assistance). Utilizing Dialogical Self Theory, the research identifies significant internal conflicts between the "Responsible Authority" (upholding health norms) and the "Empathetic Caregiver" (responding to the child’s resistance).The analysis reveals the influence of "Family-Specific Thresholds of Tolerance." While mothers often report uncertainty in general parenting amidst shifting social trends, toothbrushing is positioned as a domain of high normative pressure where they exercise authority based on specific internal boundaries. However, these boundaries are subject to Micro-Oscillations during intense interactions. The study categorizes conflict resolution styles into four distinct types: 1) Internalized Authority (strict enforcement driven by duty), 2) Creative Dialogical (transforming the conflict into playful interaction), 3) Self-Suppressive (prioritizing the child’s emotional state over the task), and 4) Resigned/Distanced (relativizing the task's long-term importance).Significantly, mothers perceive this ritual as the final hurdle that concludes each day ("saishu kanmon"), performed while physically and mentally exhausted from work and domestic labor. The successful completion of this demanding task provides a critical context for self-valorization. By fulfilling their maternal duty despite intense internal conflict, mothers generate a sense of competence and moral integrity. This process functions as a vital psychological mechanism for restoring self-worth among self-sacrificing Japanese mothers who tend to underestimate their own value due to cultural expectations of "good motherhood." These adjustments are linked to specific "Self-Care Modes"—Static, Physical, or Social/Professional—which function as regulatory mechanisms to alleviate internal tension and maintain self-integrity. The study concludes that "Shiage-migaki" constitutes a dialogical space that functions as a vital arena for fostering the mutual development of both mother and child.

This poster presents the concept of transitiance, capturing the unique experiential (translated from the Danish: oplevelsesbaserede) transition into the domain that psychologists inhabit when enacting or performing their professional being (translated from the Danish “væsen”) and means “det væsen man træder ind i” in practice. Transitiance is relevant not only in the time from student to professional life, but specifically in the shifting moments where a person enters and exits their professional social role. Transitiance is different from transience, where transitiance highlight the process of be-coming and de-coming as an on-going premise of professionalism in practice and opens the dynamic view on constant regulation of self as it enters into social role of professional. Transitiance refers to the ongoing, micro-dynamic process in which an individual continuously shifts between I-positions that regulate self into private and professional self-positions. The concept captures how the professional essence – or "substance" – is not perceived as a static, separate identity, but rather as a continuum, where identities and positions flow in and out of each other in small, situational transitions. Transitiance differs from classical transition theories by focusing on the subtle, recurring, and often brief shifts where the professional and the personal not only coexist but are actively negotiated and adjusted in practice (rapid yet stability).

Central to the definition of transitiance is, that moving through education towards professional is not one major life transition, but a constant phenomenon characterized by repeated and often invisible, small shifts between positions and substance. The concept is based on a dynamic, processual understanding of professionalism, where professionalism is continuously in and out of "focus" depending on eg. context and interaction/relation.

This presentation explores internal transformations of the self in the context of facilitated dialogue practices, drawing on the dialogical self theory and its further development into the concept of the democratic self. The theoretical framework builds primarily on Hermans’ work on Society in the Self (2018), Inner Democracy (2020), and the personalization of democracy in citizenship education (Hermans & Bartels, 2021). From this perspective, democracy is not only a societal or institutional arrangement but also an inner process, grounded in the capacity of individuals to host, negotiate, and coordinate multiple “I-positions” in a dialogical and non-dominating manner.

The empirical material is based on a dialogical training program developed by Kai Alhanen in Finland. The study employs participant observation and an auto-ethnographic approach, allowing close access to lived experiences within the training process. Special attention is given to subtle inner changes occurring during the dialogues, such as shifts in dominant and marginalized self-positions, the emergence of new dialogical voices, and increased tolerance for internal and external disagreement.

The analysis focuses on how facilitated dialogues enable participants to practice “polite confrontations,” understood as the capacity to remain in disagreement without polarization or inner closure. These practices appear to support the development of inner democracy by strengthening reflexivity, dialogical openness, and the ability to move between competing positions without suppressing them. The findings contribute to discussions in citizenship education, dialogical pedagogy, and democratic theory by showing how democratic capacities can be cultivated at the level of the self through structured dialogical learning environments.

In recent decades, young adulthood has been conceptualized as a distinct developmental period characterized by identity exploration, individuation, and increasing personal, occupational, and familial independence. Alongside this, a growing social trend has emerged in many developed societies: a rising number of young adults who continue to reside in their parental home into their thirties. This phenomenon raises questions regarding identity formation, particularly for men, for whom autonomy is often positioned as a core component of masculine identity.

This qualitative study examines how young adult men experience and make meaning of prolonged co-residence with parents, focusing on internal dialogues through which autonomy, masculinity, and adulthood are negotiated. The study draws on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 19 Israeli Jewish men aged 27–34, single and never having lived independently. Interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Four central themes were identified, each reflecting dominant self-positions. “The Golden Cage” describes the tension between voices of comfort and security and counter-voices of stagnation and reduced agency. “The Family’s Child” highlights the coexistence of aspirations for privacy and autonomy at home with enduring bonds of care, closeness, and obligation that complicate separation. “Red Lights” captures the social and romantic constraints associated with living at home, exposing conflicts between self-legitimization and internalized social criticism. Finally, “Something’s Wrong with You” reveals painful identity struggles marked by a gap between expected and lived life trajectories and ongoing friction between childlike and adult self-positions, contributing to diminished self-esteem and self-efficacy.

The findings contribute to Dialogical Self Theory by illustrating how prolonged co-residence functions as a dynamic space of internal negotiation, in which multiple self-positions are shaped by social expectations and masculine norms. Practically, the study underscores the importance of interventions that normalize this experience, reduce internalized stigma, and support identity development and autonomy within contemporary socio-economic contexts.

The investigation of complex interactions, like those occurring in couple and family therapy sessions, calls for open minded and creative methods in qualitative discursive research. For researchers adopting the idea of identity as storytelling in dialogue, there is

a challenge in studying both internal and external positions in the complexity of such a session. In the present case study, our analysis aimed to shed light on the interplay between such positions. Drawing material from the affiliated Institute’s archive, we analyzed a transcribed 10th session with a couple.Their young adult son had suffered a

brief psychotic episode and had a ‘neurodivergent’ diagnosis. The couple struggled to make meaning of their son’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors, and deal with his difficulties in social adjustment.They adopted two antithetical positions in terms of what is realistic/idealistic in terms of the son’s life prospects.These antithetical positions extended to their relationship negotiation, but also stood out as dominant positions of

their self, where one was the ‘realist’ and the other the ‘idealist’. The therapist’s position

as promoter provided dialogical space for bridging partners’ antithetical positions,

helping them approach these positions as dominant/less dominant I-positions for

each one.The study offers an example of a discursive method to study couple therapy from a DST perspective. In terms of clinical implications, it points to the therapist’s potentially active role in promoting self-reflexivity and expanding the repertoire of I positions to help the couple cope with everyday demands and complexities.

Sexual abuse is associated with an increased risk of psychiatric diagnoses and addictions, although it is not linked to a specific syndrome (Kendler et al., 2000, pp. 953–959). Studies report differences between 21%–57% of women with addictions who experienced childhood sexual abuse and 3%–12% among those without such histories (Simpson et al., 2002, p. 29). Outcomes are shaped by variables such as age at onset, duration, and relationship to the perpetrator. A longitudinal study demonstrated correlations between childhood sexual abuse and depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sexual risk behaviors, self-esteem, and substance misuse between the ages of 18 and 30 (Fergusson et al., 2013, pp. 666–668). Findings from the Adverse Childhood Experiences survey conducted across 22 countries, including Slovenia, reveal patterns consistent with international data (Kuhar & Zager Kocjan, 2020, p. 511).

In clinical settings, professionals encounter survivors whose addictions function as strategies for affect regulation and dissociation. Relational Family Therapy conceptualizes human experience across systemic, interpersonal, and intrapsychic levels, integrating cognitive, emotional, and somatic processes within the family as an organic psycho-social unit (Gostečnik, 2017, p. 62). Addressing trauma and addiction therefore requires coordinated interventions that acknowledge relational dynamics, embodied memory, and the regulation of affective states over time.

Collaborative practice between social workers and psychotherapists enhances addiction treatment in the context of sexual abuse trauma by integrating complementary roles within a coordinated care framework. Social workers often serve as initial points of contact, conducting psychosocial assessments, assisting with legal procedures, navigating social services, and coordinating access to resources such as housing and community support (Arajärvi et al., 2023, pp. 348–365; Kuhar & Zager Kocjan, 2020, pp. 513–520). In parallel, relational psychotherapists focus on trauma processing, affect regulation, and integrating traumatic experiences into coherent narratives influencing addiction outcomes. Structured collaboration supports understanding, planning, practice, and improved outcomes for survivors.

Maud Lewis née Dowley (1901-1979) has become one of Canada’s most renowned artists. Born with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, she lived in a protected home environment till her thirties. Many adversities followed, including the worsening of her health and a married life in poverty. But Maud managed to preserve a positive outlook to life, as depicted in her paintings that have the atmosphere and style of joyful child drawings. The present psychobiography study explored her life from the prism of narrative identity with its origins in external dialogues between parents and young children. A specific self-defining memory can often encapsulate the whole process of identity construction. Maud had a memory of painting with her mother and selling cards that later defined her existence. We analyzed this memory based on four life story constructs linked to well-being: agency, communion, redemption, and meaning making. We then traced these constructs to her whole life. The analysis revealed a narrator who found redemptive meanings in suffering and adversity, justifying Maud’s high levels of happiness despite hardship. In terms of clinical implications, there are known benefits in encouraging persons with disabilities and chronic illness to explore all forms of creativity with lasting resilience effects.

This project explores the phenomenon of meta-intentionality, defined as “the desire for the other to want what I want”, within the dialogical space of psychotherapy. The project conceptualizes meta-intentionality as a dialogical movement where the therapist’s intentions are aimed at the client’s own intentional structures to foster a genuine, internal desire for change, as well as instances where clients can have intentions for the therapist and therapy process. Drawing on Dialogism, the project frames the therapeutic relationship as a process of coauthorship and epistemic co-responsibility. In this view, meaning and intentions are not unilaterally imposed by the therapist but are co-constructed in the psychotherapeutic space. A successful therapeutic process involves moving from separate "I-positions" toward a “we-mode” of shared intentionality. The project proposes that alignment of intentions is a critical common factor in psychotherapy. When a therapist’s meta-intentions succeed, the client does not merely follow instructions but internalizes the therapeutic goals as their own. This shift from extrinsic compliance to intrinsic motivation is essential for fostering sustainable, longterm therapeutic outcomes. Utilizing a cultural-psychological framework and an idiographic approach, this project explores the nuances of these intentional structures and how they are negotiated within the clinical encounter. By illuminating how therapists may guide clients toward insights, allowing them to arrive at and integrate goals in their own time, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dialogical nature of human change and the professional development of practitioners.

Persisting/recurring symptoms of pain/discomfort are often brought to therapy with the request to make meaning. Studies have shown that making meaning can benefit the immune system. Some type of inner dialogue is involved in this process. The present study sought to monitor the way clients talked of their persisting or recurring pain/discomfort symptoms and explore the process of meaning making as dialogic. Ten clients in various therapy approaches participated in the study. Information was collected through an interview and participants were then asked to write an externalization of the problem exercise as well as draw a picture of their pain symptom. A narrative analysis revealed common themes horizontally and vertically. Symptoms were viewed as metaphors of inner struggles appearing in stressful transition periods and having transgenerational meaning. Voices of pain were seen as motivating them to “move on” (promoters), in variety of voice tones (e.g. strict, soft). Findings indicate that clients can reflect on the notion of self as polyphonic, an idea that can help them make sense of pain symptoms. In terms of clinical implications, incorporating externalization of symptom, writing and drawing in therapy can help clients toward meaning making. Therapists should help clients match the caring content of pain voices with an accepting tone of voice.

Adolescence is a critical developmental period in which individuals begin to construct a coherent identity and envision their future roles in society (Branje et al., 2021). Work is a central life domain through which young people derive meaning and articulate multiple I-positions in dialogue with cultural, familial, and personal voices, in line with dialogical self theory (Healy & McIlveen, 2019). Yet little is known about how adolescents orient themselves toward work and how such orientations intersect with processes of identity formation. This study examined the associations between work orientations and identity development among 460 Israeli high school seniors (M age = 17.7, 67% female). Work orientations were assessed with the Work Orientation Questionnaire (WOQ; Willner et al., 2020), which captures five purposes of work: job (financial compensation), career (advancement and influence), calling (prosocial duty), social embeddedness (belongingness), and busyness (filling idle time). Identity development was measured with a short form of the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (Balistreri et al., 1995). Results indicated that identity formation was positively associated with calling (r=.31) and career (r=.32) orientations, suggesting that adolescents with stronger identity commitments were more likely to view their future work as meaningful and as a path to advancement. Gender differences emerged, with girls reporting stronger social embeddedness orientation than boys (d=0.28). Regression analyses further identified identity formation as the strongest predictor of career decision status (β=.39), underscoring its central role in navigating educational and vocational transitions. These findings highlight adolescence as a developmental crossroads where work and identity enter into dialogue. Implications include counseling interventions that foster identity exploration and support adolescents in aligning career choices with broader life purposes.