Which of the following is an example of self talk?

• A. I will ask a friend to help me.
• B. I am going to put these brushes in the sink so I can wash them later.
• C. Look at what you did.
• D. We will talk about this later.

Answer: (B)

Self-talk is the voice you use inside your head (or aloud) to guide your own actions and plan what you’ll do next. The statement “I am going to put these brushes in the sink so I can wash them later” shows the speaker making a personal plan and deciding on a sequence of steps to take, which is exactly how self-talk helps regulate behavior.

The other options involve asking someone else to do something, directing someone else, or talking about a situation with others, rather than guiding one’s own actions. In a preschool setting, adults often model this kind of private or spoken self-talk to help children organize tasks and become more independent.