ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the implications of the plan-based theory. It presents the theoretical and empirical gaps that remain unaddressed in the plan-based approach. Action Assembly Theory (AAT) was first proposed by J. O. Greene as an overarching theory of action production that might also be invoked to explain some aspects of message production. Although it provides an account of the conditions responsible for the activation of procedural records and unitized assemblies, AAT remains mute with respect to the following questions regarding the nature of procedural records and unitized assemblies. The message design logics (MDL) perspective argues that message producers may pursue multiple goals, single goals, or no particular goals in their interactions with others. The MDL perspective posits a typology consisting of three developmentally differentiated message design logics that individuals may employ to meet these exigencies. These design logics are viewed as implicit theories of communication.
