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IVS-15 – Inner Monologue Test: Do You Have an Inner Voice?

Take the testapprox. 5 min

A free self-test for how often you experience inner speech — from dialogic self-talk to voices of other people in your head. 15 statements in 5 groups, scale 1–5. Methodology modeled on inner speech research (VISQ-R: Alderson-Day et al., 2018) — with items written in our own words.

  • Methodology modeled on VISQ-R (Alderson-Day et al. 2018)
  • No account needed
  • Instant results

Take the IVS-15 Test

Take 5 minutes in a quiet, undisturbed environment.

Estimated duration: approx. 5 min

IVS-15 – Inner Voice Spectrum

The IVS-15 is aphantasie.org's own self-assessment. Its structure follows the methodology of research questionnaires on inner speech (VISQ-R: Alderson-Day et al., 2018); the items are written in our own words and informed by published research methods. It is a self-assessment, not a psychometrically validated instrument, and does not diagnose anendophasia (absence of inner speech).

You choose in the first step whether your result is saved on this device. Without a choice it stays in this tab only.

Developed in-house on the basis of the research literature. Modelled on established instruments, but not independently validated. Not a diagnostic procedure – the results are intended for self-assessment.

How the test works:

  1. 1You will answer 15 statements in 5 groups
  2. 2Think about how often you experience each kind of inner speech
  3. 3Rate on a scale from 1–5 how often each statement applies to you
  4. 4There are no right or wrong answers – be honest with yourself

Either way, nothing is stored on our servers.

More about privacy

What does the IVS-15 measure?

The IVS-15 is aphantasie.org's own self-assessment. Its structure follows the methodology of research questionnaires on inner speech (VISQ-R: Alderson-Day et al., 2018); the items are written in our own words and informed by published research methods. It is a self-assessment, not a psychometrically validated instrument, and does not diagnose anendophasia.

The IVS-15 (Inner Voice Spectrum) is a self-test by aphantasie.org. Its structure follows the methodology of the Varieties of Inner Speech Questionnaire – Revised (VISQ-R, Alderson-Day, Mitrenga, Wilkinson, McCarthy-Jones & Fernyhough, 2018) — a validated instrument used in inner speech research. The 15 items are written by aphantasie.org in its own words and informed by published research methods.

The test covers 5 dimensions of inner speech (dialogic, evaluative, other people's voices, condensed, regulatory) with 3 items each. You rate on a scale from 1–5 how often each statement applies to you. The verbal score (6–30, dialogic + other-voices subscales combined) is the primary axis. This combination is aphantasie.org's own choice, not a published measure.

The IVS-15 is a self-report measure, not a psychometrically validated instrument or diagnostic tool. There is no published clinical cutoff for anendophasia (absence of inner speech) — current research even debates whether it's a clearly separable category. Our result bands are a transparent internal convention, not a scientific citation.

How it works

How to take the Inner Voice Spectrum (IVS-15) correctly.

  1. Choose a quiet environmentSit down in a quiet place without distractions for about 5 minutes.
  2. Think about your everyday thinkingFor each statement, think about how you typically think — not one specific moment.
  3. Rate 15 statements honestlyRate how often each statement applies to you, from 1 (never) to 5 (very often).
  4. Don't overthink the 'right' answerThe IVS-15 measures your subjective experience. Answer intuitively.
  5. Interpret your resultAfter the last item, you'll see your verbal score (6–30) and a breakdown across all 5 inner speech dimensions.

Methodological basis

  1. Alderson-Day, B., Mitrenga, K., Wilkinson, S., McCarthy-Jones, S., & Fernyhough, C. (2018). The varieties of inner speech questionnaire – Revised (VISQ-R): Replicating and refining links between inner speech and psychopathology. Consciousness and Cognition, 65, 48–58.
  2. Nedergaard, J.S.K., & Lupyan, G. (2024). Not Everybody Has an Inner Voice: Behavioral Consequences of Anendophasia. Psychological Science.

Frequently Asked Questions about the IVS-15

What is the IVS-15?

The IVS-15 (Inner Voice Spectrum) is an original self-test by aphantasie.org. It follows the methodology of the VISQ-R (Alderson-Day et al., 2018) but contains items written in our own words.

What is anendophasia?

Anendophasia describes a reduced or absent experience of inner speech — thinking without an 'inner voice' narrating thoughts in words. It is a normal, non-clinical variation and is being actively researched (e.g. Nedergaard & Lupyan, 2024); it is not a validated diagnosis with fixed criteria.

How long does the IVS-15 take?

The IVS-15 takes about 5 minutes. You answer 15 statements on a 5-point scale and get your result instantly.

What does my verbal score mean?

Your verbal score (6–30) combines the dialogic and other-voices subscales; this combination is aphantasie.org's own choice. There is no published clinical cutoff for anendophasia — our result bands are a transparent internal convention, not a diagnosis.

Is the IVS-15 scientifically validated?

The IVS-15 follows the methodology of inner speech research (VISQ-R: Alderson-Day et al. 2018), but contains items written in our own words and has not been separately psychometrically validated. It is a self-report measure for personal orientation — not a diagnostic instrument.

Is there an official test for having no inner voice?

There is no single, publicly available test that definitively diagnoses anendophasia. Nedergaard & Lupyan (2024), for example, formed groups with high and low inner speech from a questionnaire (the IRQ) rather than a fixed cutoff; whether this is a clearly separable group is debated (Lind 2025). The IVS-15 is aphantasie.org's own, freely accessible self-assessment inspired by this research.

Is the IVS-15 free?

Yes. The test is completely free, runs directly in your browser without registration, and delivers your result instantly.

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