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Metaphors and the mental lexicon.

O Geiger¹, L M Ward

¹University of British Columbia and Riverview Hospital, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada. ogeiger@interchange.ubc.ca

Brain and Language

|August 6, 1999

Summary

Lexicalization and context are key to understanding both literal and metaphorical language. This study shows how word meaning and sentence context interact to influence comprehension.

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Psycholinguistics
Semantics

Background:

The distinction between literal and metaphorical language is a fundamental aspect of human communication.
Understanding how the brain processes word meaning and context is crucial for psycholinguistics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether lexicalization can explain the difference between literal and metaphorical language.
To explore the interplay between word meaning and contextual information in language comprehension.

Main Methods:

Two experiments were conducted using sentence completion tasks.
Participants were presented with sentence contexts and then had to choose the most appropriate final word from two options.
Semantic decision times were measured for literal and metaphorical word usages.

Main Results:

Decision times varied across five types of stimuli examining literal and metaphorical word use.
Results supported a modified class inclusion model of language processing.
Both the lexicalized meaning of words and the sentence context significantly contribute to understanding.

Conclusions:

Lexicalization, alongside contextual information, plays a vital role in distinguishing literal from metaphorical language.
A modified class inclusion model effectively explains how semantic decisions are made.
This research provides insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying figurative language comprehension.

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