Comparing the Online Interpretation Processes of Metaphors and Similes

Abstract

Metaphors take the form 'topic x is vehicle y' (e.g. life is a journey ). Similes add (e.g. life is like a journey ). A reading experiment (self-paced moving-window paradigm) tested online interpretation of metaphors and similes followed by explanations; for example, John says life is (is like) a journey because it has many directions. Vehicles were read faster in metaphors than in similes. Explanations ( it has many directions ) were slower in similes than in metaphors. Frequency, but not aptness, was a predictor of reaction time; while aptness, but not frequency, was a predictor of agreement judgements. Aptness was also a more important predictor than frequency in affecting whether participants prefer a statement as a metaphor or a simile. Results are discussed in reference to Direct Statements theory (Chiappe & Kennedy, 2001), which argues that metaphors are processed like categorical statements, while similes are processed like comparison statements.