Lost in thought: cognitive load and the processing of addressees' feedback in verbal communication

Two experiments tested if cognitive load interferes with perspective-taking in verbal communication even if feedback from the addressee is available. Participants gave instructions on the assembly of a machine model. In Experiment 1, cognitive load was demonstrated to be a function of the complexity of assembly steps. In Experiment 2, position of feedback (during simple vs. during complex steps) and type of feedback (question vs. ambiguous interjection) were manipulated. With simple steps, speakers' responses were a function of feedback type. Speakers responded differently to questions than to interjections. With complex steps, however, responses were a function of cognitive load. Regardless of the type of feedback, most speakers simply repeated their previous utterances.