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Metaphor and analogy in everyday problem solving.

Lucas A Keefer1, Mark J Landau2

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Metaphor and analogy significantly influence everyday problem solving by mapping problems onto familiar concepts. These cognitive processes can surprisingly aid or impede finding effective solutions.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Early problem-solving theories focused on direct information representation.
  • Later research highlighted peripheral influences like heuristics and bodily states.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the influence of metaphor and analogy on everyday problem solving.
  • To examine how mental mappings affect reasoning and judgment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing theories and research on analogy and metaphor in problem solving.
  • Analysis of how mapping familiar concepts to novel problems aids or hinders solutions.

Main Results:

  • Analogy use historically aided insight into new problems.
  • Metaphorical mappings create subtle, sometimes unexpected, effects on judgment and reasoning.
  • These mappings can both facilitate and obstruct problem-solving efforts.

Conclusions:

  • Metaphor and analogy are crucial cognitive tools in everyday problem solving.
  • Understanding these mapping processes is key to optimizing problem-solving strategies.
  • The impact of these cognitive tools can be complex and context-dependent.