Spanish adaptation of the Varieties of Inner Speech Questionnaire (VISQ). Study of the relationship between inner speech, dissociation, and hallucination proneness

Abstract

Inner speech is a familiar experience for us but, in general, few systematic studies have been done on the subject. Recent studies have included this phenomenon in the development of auditory hallucinations. The purpose of this article is to propose and validate the Spanish version of the Varieties of Inner Speech Questionnaire (VISQ), to which we have added a new factor called Dialogues with Self-Positions in Inner Speech. It is further intended to test the relationship between this scale, dissociation, and proneness to hallucinations. For this purpose, 318 students completed the VISQ, plus a dissociation scale and another one for hallucination proneness. The results show the scale's good psychometric reliability and validity. Dissociation was found to mediate between the VISQ scale and hallucination proneness. The implications for hallucination models and future lines of research are discussed.