scholarly journals The Influence of Spatial Position on Affect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael T Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Mood State ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Attentional Biases ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Physical Domain ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Computer Screen ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Before And After

<p>Conceptual metaphor theory posits that the physical domain (e.g. the vertical dimension) is used to understand abstract concepts (e.g. affect); creating expressions such as, “falling into a deep depression.” Previous research concerning vertical metaphors has found that people more rapidly process positive and negative words when the valence was metaphorically consistent with vertical position (Meier & Robinson, 2004) and that mood traits were metaphorically consistent with vertical attentional biases (Meier & Robinson, 2006). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of vertical perceptual biases on mood; whether shifting perception could have an effect upon the emotional experience of an individual. In Experiment 1, vertical attention was manipulated by having university students move letters upwards or downwards on a computer screen, with measures of mood completed before and after the manipulation. In Experiment 2, participants completed the same task, but moved schematic faces that were either happy or sad. In both experiments vertical attention was biased; however a significant change in mood state was produced only when schematic faces were used as stimuli in the task. The results suggest that shifting an individual’s vertical perception can influence their mood, when the task is emotionally arousing.</p>

scholarly journals The Influence of Spatial Position on Affect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Michael T Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Mood State ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Attentional Biases ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Physical Domain ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Computer Screen ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Before And After

<p>Conceptual metaphor theory posits that the physical domain (e.g. the vertical dimension) is used to understand abstract concepts (e.g. affect); creating expressions such as, “falling into a deep depression.” Previous research concerning vertical metaphors has found that people more rapidly process positive and negative words when the valence was metaphorically consistent with vertical position (Meier & Robinson, 2004) and that mood traits were metaphorically consistent with vertical attentional biases (Meier & Robinson, 2006). The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effects of vertical perceptual biases on mood; whether shifting perception could have an effect upon the emotional experience of an individual. In Experiment 1, vertical attention was manipulated by having university students move letters upwards or downwards on a computer screen, with measures of mood completed before and after the manipulation. In Experiment 2, participants completed the same task, but moved schematic faces that were either happy or sad. In both experiments vertical attention was biased; however a significant change in mood state was produced only when schematic faces were used as stimuli in the task. The results suggest that shifting an individual’s vertical perception can influence their mood, when the task is emotionally arousing.</p>

Interpersonal judgments, embodied reasoning, and juridical legitimacy

2018 ◽  
pp. 862-874
Author(s):  
Somogy Varga
Keyword(s):  
Embodied Cognition ◽  
Research Program ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Bodily States ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Negligible Influence

A particular branch of the embodied cognition (EC) research program explicates abstract concepts and metaphors as grounded in particular domains of bodily experience. This chapter explores conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) and some recent behavioral and neuroscientific research that appears to offer some support for it. While this research indicates that bodily states exert non-negligible influence on cognition and behavior, the influences appear to occur in a way that is insensitive to reflectively endorsed norms. Assuming that the experimental findings extend to real-life situations, the findings raise a number of questions. The chapter offers reflections on particular questions and concerns in the legal realm and explores whether the findings present potential challenges to juridical legitimacy.

The structure of our concepts: A critical assessment of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peer F. Bundgaard
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory is by and large a theory of what (abstract) concepts are, how they are structured, and how this structure is acquired — i.e., by mapping of structure from one more concrete or sensory-motor specific domain to another more abstract domain. Conceptual metaphors therefore rest on “cross-domain mappings.” The claims to the effect that our abstract concepts are metaphorically structured and that cross-domain mappings constitute one of the fundamental cognitive meaning-making processes are empirical and can therefore be put to the test. In this paper, I will critically assess Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts in light of recent experimental findings. Many such findings provide evidence for the psychological reality of cross-domain mappings, i.e., that structure activated in one domain actually can perform cognitive tasks carried out in another domain. They do not, however, support the claim that the structure of our (abstract) concepts is still metaphorical, as Lakoff and Johnson claim — that is to say, that our mind actually does perform cross-domain mappings when we process conventional conceptual metaphors such as “Death is Rest” or “Love is a Journey.” Two conclusions can be drawn from this: (1) it is necessary to distinguish between cross-domain mappings (which are psychologically real) and the metaphoric structure of our concepts (which is not, in the sense that such concepts do not any longer activate cross-domain mappings when processed); (2) Conceptual Metaphor Theory is not an adequate theory of concepts. I will therefore sketch another more viable theory of concepts where the structure of our concepts is defined as the full ecology of their situations of use, which includes the kind of situations (objects, agents, interactions) they apply to and the kind of emotional, cognitive, bodily, and behavioral responses they elicit. On this view, the contents of our concepts are to be considered as vague predicates, with vague extensions, which take on a specific form in their situation of use.

scholarly journals A Three-Dimensional Spatial Metaphorical Representation of Generation Implied in Han Kin Terms

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huijuan Li ◽  
Jijia Zhang ◽  
Entao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
The Family ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Spatial Terms ◽  
The Brain

Abstract concepts can be represented in the brain by means of metaphors. Generation refers to seniority in the family or clan, implies the implementation of different attitudes required by kinship, and contains profound psychological, emotional, and social factors. Generation as an abstract concept is related to concepts such as power, social status, importance, and time. The conceptual metaphor theory based on the embodied theory proposes that abstract concepts are represented by actual sensorimotor experiences. Generation implied in Han kin terms is often represented by multiple spatial terms. According to conceptual metaphor theory, the current study predicted that generation could be represented by multiple spatial metaphors. We designed six experiments to investigate this issue. The results showed that (1) the up–down and left–right positions in which kinship words were presented affected the processing of the concept of generation; (2) the processing of kinship words also affected up–down and left–right spatial information perception; and (3) the processing of the concept of generation could also automatically activate the front–back spatial operation and induce the embodied simulation of body movement. In sum, the results suggested that generation might be represented by the three-dimensional spatial metaphor of vertical, horizontal, and sagittal axes, which are influenced by the sensorimotor system.

scholarly journals A Study of Hot and Cold Metaphors in Iraqi Arabic

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 46-58
Author(s):  
Khalid Wahaab Jabber ◽  
Hayder Tuama Jasim Al-Saedi
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sampled Data ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Abstract Domains ◽  
Arabic Speaker ◽  
Concrete Domains

The present study is an attempt to explore the ways of an Iraqi Arabic speaker conceptualises his/her understanding of various abstract domains of emotions or feeling and attitudes through his/her experiences of concrete domains of Cold and Hot metaphors. Lakoff & Johnson’s (1980) Conceptual Metaphor Theory is adopted to analyse the collected data. Idiomatic expressions and proverbs are chosen specifically from the southern dialect where they are widely used in daily interaction. The data analysis classified the results according to their abstract and concrete domains of the sampled data. The findings of this study showed different conceptualisations of the Hot and Cold metaphor in Iraqi Arabic. The study concluded that these metaphors are used to conceive more of the abstract concepts of emotions, feelings, and attitudes. Cold domain is used to conceptualise the bad habits of people, and it is also used to conceptualise some good habits, on the other hand. Whereas Hot domain is used to conceptualise the more intensive of emotions and attitudes. The study concluded that the sharp emotions, feelings and attitudes that are understood from the conceptualisation of Hot and Cold conceptual metaphors, are experienced from the more concrete domains of hard things. 

scholarly journals Morphological Metaphor Mapping of Moral Concepts in Chinese Culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingjie Liu ◽  
Kang Li ◽  
Lina Li ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Yuerui Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Culture ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Moral Concepts ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
The Right

According to conceptual metaphor theory, individuals are thought to understand or express abstract concepts by using referents in the physical world—right and left for moral and immoral, for example. In this research, we used a modified Stroop paradigm to explore how abstract moral concepts are metaphorically translated onto physical referents in Chinese culture using the Chinese language. We presented Chinese characters related to moral and immoral abstract concepts in either non-distorted or distorted positions (Study 1) or rotated to the right or to the left (Study 2). When we asked participants to identify the Chinese characters, they more quickly and accurately identified morally positive characters if they were oriented upright or turned to the right and more quickly and accurately identified immoral characters when the characters were distorted or rotated left. These results support the idea that physical cues are used in metaphorically encoding social abstractions and moral norms and provided cross-cultural validation for conceptual metaphor theory, which would predict our results.

scholarly journals Didactic potential of metaphors used in medical discourse

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 102-116
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Karska ◽  
Ewelina Prażmo
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Faculties ◽  
Multimodal Representations ◽  
The Impact

Specialist languages should be straightforward and unambiguous. In areas such as law, business or medicine precision and to-the-point wording is required. However, in order to facilitate the description of complicated matters, and especially in expert to non-expert communication, unexpected strategies, e.g. metaphorisation, are used. Conceptual metaphor theory, as initially introduced by Lakoff and Johnson (cf. Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) states that human beings tend to think in metaphors, i.e. we are engaged in constant search of similarities between concepts. This drive for pattern recognition helps us understand the unknown in terms of the familiar, the abstract in terms of the concrete. Most conceptual metaphors are grounded in our physical experience of the world, which means that we draw from this familiar experience while creating metaphorical mappings to the complex, abstract concepts. Controversial as it may seem, the same process applies to understanding professional terms and scientific notions, and as a result the language of law, business, medicine, etc. is heavily metaphorical in nature. In our presentation we focus on medicine alone and analyse a corpus of medical text in search of conceptual metaphors. We claim, that rather than obscuring the message, metaphors actually make it clearer and more precise. They enrich conceptualisation, structure the semantics of the message and serve a number of pragmatic functions, esp. in doctor to patient communication. By choosing a certain metaphor, the message may e.g. be softened in order to lessen the impact it has on the recipient. Moreover, it may be more easily understood if it is built on an adequate conceptual metaphor. Many metaphors used in the medical discourse are based on multimodal representations e.g. descriptions of diseases often invoke the imagery of food including its shape, colour, texture, and smell. Such multimodality of representation (cf. Forceville, 2009 and online) engages a number of cognitive faculties for the construction of a complex conceptualisation and in this way helps us gain better understanding of the concepts described. We claim that conceptual metaphor and esp. pictorial metaphor is a very effective tool used in didactics and its use is perfectly justified in scientific discourses, including the medical discourse. Therefore, in our presentation we analyse pictorial metaphors found in medical discourse and in the field of radiology in particular.

scholarly journals Grounding Abstract Concepts in Action

2021 ◽  
pp. 167-194
Author(s):  
Paola Vernillo
Keyword(s):  
Schema Theory ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Semantic Class ◽  
Image Schemas ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Motor Information ◽  
Action Verbs ◽  
Core Meaning

AbstractSensory-motor information is linguistically encoded by action verbs. Such verbs are not only used to express action concepts and events, but they are also pervasively exploited in the linguistic representation of abstract concepts and figurative meanings. In the light of several theoretical approaches (i.e., Embodied Theories, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Image Schema Theory), this paper analyzes the mechanisms that enable action verbs to acquire abstract meanings and that motivate the symmetries (or asymmetries) in the semantic variations of locally equivalent verbs (e.g., premere and spingere; Eng., to press and to push). The research is carried out within the IMAGACT framework and focuses on a set of four Italian action verbs encoding force (i.e., premere, spingere, tirare, and trascinare; Eng., to press, to push, to pull, and to drag). The results confirm that metaphorical extensions of action verbs are constrained by the image schemas involved in the core meaning of the verbs. Additionally, the paper shows that these image schemas are responsible for the asymmetries in the metaphorical variation of action verbs pertaining to the same semantic class (i.e., force).

scholarly journals A Cognitive Study of Metaphors in the Glorious Qur’an: From a Linguistic to a Conceptual Approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
AWEJ-tls for Translation &amp; Literary Studies ◽  
Mashael AlAjmi
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concept ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Arabic Linguistics ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Cognitive Study

The current study investigates the use of conceptual metaphors in the glorious Qur’an, focusing on four abstract concepts represented in the Qur’an through metaphors. These concepts are REWARD, HUMILITY, HYPOCRISY, and ARROGANCE, which recur in many positions in the Qur’an. The researcher takes up selected Qur’anic verses that carry these abstract concepts and analyzes them at two levels: linguistic and conceptual. The study’s main theoretical contribution is to show how a linguistic approach can be transformed into a conceptual one and how this enriches our understanding of abstraction. The linguistic analysis of the verses is supported by translations of Qur’anic meanings, interpretation of the verses, and cultivating the use of Arabic and English dictionaries. To perform the cognitive analysis, the researcher uses Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), which examines metaphor from two domains: the target domain, which is the abstract concept to be explained and the source domain, which is the mental mapping that helps us understand that abstract concept. The study finds that metaphors in the Qur’an are meant to be understood not only linguistically but conceptually too. It concludes by emphasizing the significance of a conceptual approach to the study of metaphor in the Qur’an not only for conceptual metaphor theory but also for the interpretation of the Qur’an and for Arabic linguistics.

Blood metaphors and metonymies in Jordanian Arabic

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aseel Zibin
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Character Traits ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Jordanian Arabic ◽  
Source Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Similarities And Differences

Abstract This study aims to examine the target concepts of metaphorical and metonymical uses of blood in Jordanian Arabic (JA) through adopting Conceptual Metaphor Theory as based on the notion of main meaning focus (Kövecses, 2010, 2011) as a theoretical framework. A 40,000 words specialized corpus was built for the purpose of this study. Data was analyzed employing WordSmith Tools (version 6), which enables the processing of Arabic data. The results reveal that blood as a source domain can be used to conceptualize character traits, essence and emotion in JA through metonymy-based-metaphors and scenic metaphors in which the source domain is constructed metonymically. Similarities and differences were detected between JA and other languages investigated in the literature. Similarities were ascribed to cognitive embodiment of bodily substances, i.e., blood, to conceptualize abstract concepts such as character traits and emotion, while differences were attributed to socio-cultural embodiment of certain qualities of blood shared by members of the Jordanian community.

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