Dialogical Self Mapping: A New Phenomenological Method to Study Dialogical Identity

Dialogical Self Mapping is a method grounded in Dialogical Self Theory, which views identity as made up of multiple internal I-positions that interact dynamically, sometimes in conflict. It offers an idiographic, visual tool for recognizing these positions and their relationships, as the individual creates a subjectively organized map of the dialogical self on a circle. The procedure involves four stages: introducing I-positions as internal voices, identifying and placing them on the circle, mapping their relationships, and engaging in meta-reflection on the overall configuration and its effect on identity. The process takes about 30 minutes and can be done individually or in groups. The article also compares this method with other approaches to identity research, highlighting its specificity as an idiographic, dialogically oriented tool. It provides detailed instructions for practical application and interpretation of results, illustrated through three case studies. The graphic and metaphorical nature of the method makes internal dynamics more accessible and encourages a more conscious and integrated approach to one’s sense of self.