Dual‐Processing Perspectives

Abstract

Dual‐process theories propose that human behavior (including communication) is the combined result of two qualitatively different processing mechanisms, one relatively fast, automatic, and associative, and the other relatively slow, controlled, and rule‐based. The dual‐processing perspective has had an overwhelming impact in the fields of cognitive and social psychology and neuroscience, and it has had equally important influence in the study of human communication. This entry traces the development of dual‐process theories from their domain specific beginnings in reasoning and persuasion, to the current search for a generalized dual‐systems model. Additionally, this entry discusses examples of how the dual‐processing perspective has diffused to communication specific literatures beyond persuasion, such as supportive communication and message production.