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Part of
Figurative Thought and Language in Action
Edited by Mario Brdar and Rita Brdar-Szabó
[Figurative Thought and Language 16] 2022
► pp. 167–184

Embodied simulations and verbal irony comprehension

| University of Alberta
| University of Alberta
| University of Alberta
| University of Alberta
| University of Alberta
| University of Alberta
| New York University

Recent research has addressed the role that embodied simulations (ESs) play in language processing (Bergen, 2012). One forefront in this work is investigating ESs’ role in metaphorical language comprehension, as when one hears or reads: “The Donald Trump supporter went bananas after the 2016 U.S. election”. The work reveals that the pattern of ESs found in metaphor processing resembles that of comparable non-metaphorical language – but isn’t exactly the same. Current work is attempting to discern how similar/different these ES patterns are. To date, however, little work has explored embodied simulations in verbal irony (e.g., sarcasm, as in saying, “Nice work” when someone errs). The current study reports preliminary results of an analysis of ES activity when people process verbal irony.

Keywords: verbal irony, embodied simulations, language processing, comprehension, metaphor, figurative language
Article outline
  • 1.Representation and activation
  • 2.Embodied simulations
  • 3.Evidence
  • 4.Embodied simulations and verbal irony
  • 5.Verbal irony? Being sarcastic with joysticks
    • 5.1Non-figurative language
    • 5.2Verbal irony
  • 6.Discussion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 28 July 2022
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.16.07col
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