egocentric speech

In child language ACQUISITION, SPEECH which does not take into account the needs of the listener, but is used for such purposes as self-expression and language play. The notion was introduced by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896–1980) and elaborated by Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1934) as part of a basic classification of types of speech observed in young children; it contrasts with the socialized speech which is used for communication with others.