PMID- 11975148
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020528
LR  - 20161107
IS  - 1618-3169 (Print)
IS  - 1618-3169 (Linking)
VI  - 49
IP  - 1
DP  - 2002
TI  - Comprehending spoken metaphoric reference: a real-time analysis.
PG  - 34-44
AB  - Speakers and writers often use metaphor to describe someone or something in a 
      referential fashion (e.g., The creampuff didn't show up for the fight to refer to 
      a cowardly boxer). Research has demonstrated that readers do not comprehend 
      metaphoric reference as easily as they do literal reference (Gibbs, 1990; Onishi 
      & Murphy, 1993). In two experiments, we used a naming version of the cross-modal 
      lexical priming (CMLP) paradigm to monitor the time-course of comprehending 
      spoken metaphoric reference. In Experiment 1, listeners responded to visual probe 
      words of either a figurative or literal nature that were presented at offset or 
      1000 ms after a critical prime word. Significant facilitatory priming was 
      observed at prime offset to probes consistent with the metaphorical 
      interpretation of the figuratively referring description, yet no priming was 
      found for either probe type at the downstream location. In Experiment 2, we 
      partially replicated Experiment 1 results at prime offset and found no priming at 
      a probe point placed 1000 ms upstream from prime onset. Taken together, the data 
      from these two experiments indicate that listeners are able to comprehend 
      metaphoric reference faster than literal reference. Moreover, the effect appears 
      to be strongest at prime offset, suggesting that activation of the nonliteral 
      interpretation is closely tied to the relationship between the figuratively 
      referring description and the intended referent. Implications for theories of 
      metaphor comprehension, as well as for research in spoken metaphor, are 
      discussed.
FAU - Stewart, Mark T
AU  - Stewart MT
AD  - Department of Psychology, Willamette University, Salem, Oregon 97301, USA. 
      mstewart@willamette.edu
FAU - Heredia, Roberto R
AU  - Heredia RR
LA  - eng
GR  - T32-MH14268/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
PT  - Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
PL  - Germany
TA  - Exp Psychol
JT  - Experimental psychology
JID - 101138477
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Attention
MH  - *Concept Formation
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - *Metaphor
MH  - Problem Solving
MH  - Psycholinguistics
MH  - Semantics
MH  - *Speech Perception
EDAT- 2002/04/27 10:00
MHDA- 2002/05/29 10:01
CRDT- 2002/04/27 10:00
PHST- 2002/04/27 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/05/29 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2002/04/27 10:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1027/1618-3169.49.1.34 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Exp Psychol. 2002;49(1):34-44. doi: 10.1027/1618-3169.49.1.34.