ABSTRACT
The central claim presented in this article is that the strategic cognitive uses of language for the self continue throughout the lifespan. Overt indications of these uses are harder to obtain among adolescents and adults than they are among children; 1 however, when examined, they demonstrate the continuing importance of language for the self as a cognitive tool. Much research in this domain has been guided by L.S. Vygotsky’s (1934/1962) seminal writings on egocentric speech. Since his focus was primarily on children, most of the research exploring language as an instrument of thought has been structured accordingly.
