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Flexible conceptual projection of time onto spatial frames of reference
Ana Torralbo1, Julio Santiago, Juan Lupiáñez
1Departamento de Metodología, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, SpainDept. de Psicología Experimental y Fisiología del Comportamiento, Universidad de Granada, Spain.
Cognitive Science
|June 28, 2011
Summary
Conceptual metaphor projection shows significant flexibility. Attentional dynamics, not fixed mappings, explain how we project abstract concepts like time onto space, influencing cognitive processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Conceptual metaphor theory posits fixed mappings between abstract and concrete domains.
- Flexibility in these conceptual projections remains a significant challenge in cognitive literature.
- Embodiment theories emphasize the role of the body and sensory experiences in shaping cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and test a theoretical model explaining flexibility in conceptual projection.
- To investigate the role of attentional dynamics and working memory in conceptual mapping.
- To examine the conceptual projection of time onto space.
Main Methods:
- Participants categorized words related to past/future based on spatial location (back-front, left-right).
- Reaction times were measured to assess the influence of metaphoric mappings.
- A new spatial frame of reference was introduced to observe shifts in conceptual projection.
Main Results:
- Response times were faster when spatial word locations aligned with the back-past, front-future metaphor.
- Introducing a new spatial frame of reference altered the past-future projection onto space.
- The observed changes in projection were congruent with the new spatial frame, supporting the theory.
Conclusions:
- Conceptual projection is highly flexible, influenced by attentional dynamics and working memory constraints.
- Metaphoric mappings are not rigid but adaptable based on task and context.
- This research opens avenues for studying cross-task, individual, and cultural variations in metaphoric cognition.
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