The boundary conditions of perspective!takinwere explored in two experiments[ Participants ave instructions on the assembly of a machine model[ In Experiment I\ conitive load was manipulated\ and speakers ave two instructions to different addressees with diverent knowlede[ Unlike utterances produced under low load\ instructions iven under hih load were not adapted to the addressees[ Experiment II demonstrated that this load effect was partially compensated for by hih accountability[ Findins support a two!stae model of utterance plannin] the controlled processes of monitorinand adjustment operate on the output of a predominantly automatic stae of plannin`[ Co
nitive load impairs monitorinà nd adjustment\ and leads to {standard| utterances that are not adapted to the addressee|s perspective[ Copyriht Þ 1999 John Wiley + Sons\ Ltd[ Perspective!taking is an important component of social cognition "cf[ Menna + Cohen\ 0886#[ The ability to recognise the cognitions "e[g[ attitudes\ motives# and emotions of others in~uences processes like person perception "e[g[ Bernstein + Davis\ 0871^Davis\ Conklin\ Smith\ + Luce\ 0885^Lord\ Lepper\ + Preston\ 0873# and helping behaviour and altruism "e[g[ Coke\ Batson\ + McDavis\ 0867^Underwood + Moore\ 0871#[ Perspective!taking ability is positively correlated with satisfaction in close personal relationships "e[g[ Franzoi\ Davis\ + Young\ 0874#\ and it may even act as a cognitive inhibitor of interpersonal aggression "e[g[ Richardson\ Hammock\ Smith\ + Gardner\ 0883#[
Taking the perspective of the other also lies at the heart of successful communication "cf[ Schober\ 0887#[ It is generally assumed that speakers speak {to satisfy their listener|s reasons for listening| "Clark and Clark\ 0866\ p[ 20# and therefore tailor their speech to their particular listener by intending {each addressee to base his inferences not on just any knowledge or beliefs he may have\ but only on their mutual