Do you think via role play in your head?

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I was just curious if this was just me, or whether this was an 'aspie thing'......... Let me give you an example.

If I am trying to work out a way of resolving a problem with a friend, I will in my mind visualize that person there, even to the point of imagining there predicted response. I will role play this scene over and over again until I feel ok.

Even the thought of writing this message now was role played out in my head imagining I was typing this out to you and predicting your responses.

Does this resonate with anyone?

Oh sure, I spend a lot of my waking hours role-playing in my head. If it's a delicate subject I have to broach with somebody, I will play the conversation out seven or eight times before actually having it. And then it usually turns out differently from what I'd expected! Sometimes I will also play out the exchange after it has happened in order to examine all its aspects and implications.

Yep. Maybe it's a visual/verbal thinker thing. Maybe.
I don't know which one exactly I am, but whenever I am thinking in words there's a role-play in my mind. It helps me organize my thoughts.

NTs do that too.

- D

Definitely. I always do this. And no matter how many versions of the conversation I play, the real response of the other person is usually an unpredicted one. Anyway, this makes me feel more comfortable so I keep doing it. If I'm not satisfied with the outcome, I replay the conversation with me saying what I should have said or done instead of what I actually said or done. But I don't know if this is an aspie thing or not.

Resonates here. Too the point where for the most part, COMMUNICATION ends either before it begins or with/at first negative feedback in the case of in person.

Not sure what to do about that, but to keep typing in lieu of speaking, in lieu of futher shrink/psychological work.

Yes. I imagine what I'll say, and what they'll say. Sometimes it helps me to figure out the words I should be using in advance. Other times I just make myself nervous imagining the negative possibilities that could occur.
I think it's a good idea in general, though, because it helps me to avoid or reduce the "iterations" where I repeat myself time and again trying to get it right. I've already done that in my head and have the words where I want them. (Not that they necessarily come out that way even with preparation... it's not foolproof.)

Yeah, I do this all the time. It definitely makes me me feel better.

Thanks everyone......It's nice to know I am in good company.

I do, it's called rehearsing.

I should probably do this more; even though it is usually nonrealistic and often inaccurate, it does help you prepare for multiple responses. It helps if you have some REAL idea of what will be said though. I've found that arguing with NTs on facebook groups helps to prepare me to debate with Aspies. Aside from AwesomelyGlorious and a few others, NTs are smarter than Aspies so it does help to get an idea of the tactics and material that are often used and presented. Without some basis of fact, the scenarios are limited and largely fictional.

I do that a lot; plan out conversations, devise what jokes I'm going to tell, and though the conversation will never go according to the script, it is still much better than being completely unprepared.

Also, I often find that I end up solving problems by imagining discussing the puzzle with another person; for some reason things I might have been stuck with for a long time will often reveal their solution this way, even though this rarely ever happens in a real conversation.

It strengthens executive function which is good for Aspies, but NTs do it too.

I'm poor at visualizing stuff in my head. It seems i'm the odd man out on this thread