The limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing: looking to the future

In a companion piece (Fisher, Keene, Huskey, & Weber, 2018), we reviewed the foundations and current state of the Limited Capacity Model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing (LC4MP). In this manuscript we return to the three areas investigated in our review: cognitive load, motivation, and memory. In each domain, we: (a) outline areas in which the LC4MP has produced unexpected or ambiguous findings; (b) look broadly at literature from biology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience to inform and clarify definitions of key terms; (c) develop an updated, cohesive framework of assumptions and predictions of the LC4MP; and (d) propose a roadmap for testing the proposed framework. We conclude with a discussion of the LC4MP's continued relevance for understanding dynamic, interactive, multimodal communication phenomena.