Cognitive integration of verbal and vocal information in spoken sentences

The problem of interpreting messages that contain both verbal and vocal information is similar to the problem of information integration in impression formation, clinical judgment, and decision-making. While the linear model has proven powerful in many experimental studies, the double bind theory and literature on incongruent communication suggest that configural effects should occur, particularly in the processing of inconsistent messages. Four models of the integration process were evaluated for short spoken sentences. Results confirmed the superiority of the linear model, but individual differences were observed. Evidence was found that inconsistent sentences are processed differently than consistent sentences, but the effects of inconsistency are not reflected in a multiplicative component. Comparison of this task with other information integration tasks is presented. Problems with methodologies for evaluating vocal information are presented, and implications of the results for the double bind theory are discussed.