Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
09:27
Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language
Published on: October 13, 2018
Conceptual knowledge in the interpretation of idioms
1Program in Experimental Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz 95064.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|September 1, 1990
Summary
People understand idioms better when they fit a conceptual prototype and temporal sequence. Lexical and conceptual information, including underlying metaphors, aids idiom comprehension and contextual appropriateness.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Idioms present a challenge for language comprehension due to their non-literal meanings.
- Understanding contextual appropriateness is crucial for effective communication using idiomatic expressions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive mechanisms underlying the judgment of idiomatic appropriateness.
- To explore the role of conceptual structure, temporal sequencing, and metaphor in idiom processing.
Main Methods:
- Six experiments were conducted using behavioral measures.
- Participants judged idiom similarity, meaningfulness, and appropriateness in various contexts.
- Processing speed and the recovery of conceptual metaphors were also assessed.
Main Results:
- Idioms sharing temporal stages of a conceptual prototype were perceived as more similar.
- Prototypical temporal sequences enhanced idiom meaningfulness compared to violated sequences.
- Conceptual coherence and metaphoric information in idioms facilitated processing and appropriateness judgments.
Conclusions:
- Idiom comprehension relies on aligning figurative language with conceptual prototypes and temporal schemas.
- The lexical form of idioms carries metaphoric information that influences their contextual appropriateness.
- Cognitive processes involve recovering underlying conceptual metaphors to interpret idioms effectively.
Related Concept Videos
01:12Hindsight Biases
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now?
01:21Cognitive Learning
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
01:24Components of Language
Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
01:27Language and Cognition
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
01:27Intelligence
The term "intelligence" is complex because it refers to both behavior and individuals, and its interpretation varies across cultures. European Americans tend to link intelligence with reasoning and cognitive skills, while in Kenya, it is tied to responsible participation in family and social life. In Uganda, intelligence is seen as the ability to know the right actions and carry them out effectively, while the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea associate it with the capacity to remember detailed...
01:14Interpretations of Partial Derivatives
A surface defined by a function of two variables can be visualized as a vast, uneven terrain, where each point is identified using Cartesian coordinates. The elevation of the terrain at any point is determined by a function that assigns a height value to every pair of horizontal coordinates. This representation allows the surface to be studied in terms of how its height varies across different directions.At a specific point on this terrain, understanding how the height changes requires...