Premium
Cognitive load and perspective‐taking: applying the automatic‐controlled distinction to verbal communication
Author(s) -
Roxβnagel Christian
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
european journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1099-0992
pISSN - 0046-2772
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-0992(200005/06)30:3<429::aid-ejsp3>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - perspective (graphical) , cognitive load , utterance , psychology , cognition , cognitive psychology , social psychology , computer science , artificial intelligence , neuroscience
The boundary conditions of perspective‐taking were explored in two experiments. Participants gave instructions on the assembly of a machine model. In Experiment I, cognitive load was manipulated, and speakers gave two instructions to different addressees with divergent knowledge. Unlike utterances produced under low load, instructions given under high load were not adapted to the addressees. Experiment II demonstrated that this load effect was partially compensated for by high accountability. Findings support a two‐stage model of utterance planning: the controlled processes of monitoring and adjustment operate on the output of a predominantly automatic stage of planning. Cognitive load impairs monitoring and adjustment, and leads to ‘standard’ utterances that are not adapted to the addressee's perspective. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.