Verbalisations

Verbalisations, also spelled verbalizations in American English, refer to the act of expressing thoughts, feelings, or experiences in words, whether spoken or written. The term covers both the cognitive process of translating internal states into language and the resulting utterances or statements. It is commonly used in linguistics, psychology, and psychotherapy to describe how ideas are voiced and conveyed.

Etymology and usage vary by variety of English. Verbalisation is the British form, while verbalization is preferred in American English. Both terms describe the same phenomenon: turning nonlinguistic experiences into verbal content, and the range of expressions can be simple or complex.

In different disciplines, verbalisations take on specific connotations. In linguistics, they describe the production of speech and the structure of utterances. In psychology and psychotherapy, verbalisations are analyzed as sources of insight into a person’s thoughts and emotions, and therapists may encourage patients to verbalize experiences to increase awareness. In behaviorist traditions, verbalizations are viewed as verbal behavior that can be studied and reinforced.

Examples vary from brief statements to extended narratives. Think-aloud protocols, where participants verbalize their thought processes while performing a task, are a common research method for capturing verbalisations of cognition. Cultural and individual differences influence how readily people convert experience into words, and some contexts favor nonverbal communication over verbal expression.

See also: verbalization, verbal communication.