Evidence for a Structure-Mapping Theory of Analogy and Metaphor

Abstract

The central claim is that all analogies, and many metaphors, are fundamentally devices for mapping relational structures from one domain to another. This theory differs from other approaches in postulating that the interpretation rules for analogies and relational metaphors are based on predicate structure, rather than on feature salience or mental distance. Two experiments are described that test the interpretation predictions of the structure mapping theory as well as those derivable from Ortony's (1979) salience imbalance theory of metaphor. Subjects were asked to interpret metaphors and rate their aptness and metaphoricity, after first writing out descriptions of all the object terms used in the metaphors. The results supported the structure-mapping account.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA177300

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  • Dedre Gentner

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  • University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

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