title: How object shape affects visual metaphor processing.
abstract: In order to interpret novel metaphoric relations, we have to construct ad hoc categories under which the metaphorically related concepts can be subsumed. Shape is considered to be one of the primary vehicles of object categorization. Accordingly, shape might play a prominent role in interpreting visual metaphors (i.e., two metaphorically related objects depicted in one visual array). This study explores the role of object shape in visual metaphor interpretation of 10- to 12-year-olds. The experiment shows that participants can produce more correspondences between similarly shaped objects as compared to dissimilarly shaped objects and that they need less thinking time to do so. These findings suggest that similarity in shape facilitates the process of interpreting visual metaphors.
authors.affiliation: Tilburg Center for Cognition and Communication, Tilburg, The Netherlands. l.vanweelden@uvt.nl
authors.forename: Lisanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Weelden
authors.forename: Alfons
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maes
authors.forename: Joost
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schilperoord
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Swerts
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019365:Metaphor; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology