Effects of advance message formulation on message encoding: Evidence of cognitively based hesitation in the production of multiple‐goal messages

A series of recent studies using hesitancy variables as indicants of cognitive load has been interpreted to support an action assembly account of encoding processes involved in message production (e.g., Greene & Lindsey, 1989; Greene, Lindsey, & Hawn, 1990; Greene, McDaniel, Buksa, & Ravizza, 1993; Greene, & Ravizza, 1995). These studies provide inconclusive evidence, however, that the observed effects are cognitively based. The task manipulations in these studies permit an alternate, social account for the increased hesitation observed in multiple‐versus single‐goal messages. Previous claims to the contrary, then, it remains to be established whether pursuit of multiple social ends tends to be characterized by increased cognitive load. This paper reports two studies designed to ascertain whether multiple‐goal messages are, indeed, characterized by hesitations stemming from cognitive sources by examining the effects of advance preparation (Experiment 1) and task repetition (Experiment 2) on speech fluency. Both studies produced evidence for cognitively based hesitations in multiple‐goal messages. Further, there was little evidence of socially based pausing in the sort of monologue message tasks examined in these studies.

Key concepts:

• Action Assembly Theory
• message encoding
• multiple goal messages
• cognitively based hesitations
• socially based hesitations
• advance planning
• repetition