Publications

Publication details [#11968]

Pollio, Howard R., Peter R. Jensen and Michael A. O'Neil. 2014. The Semantics of Time and Space: A Thematic Analysis. Journal of psycholinguistic research 43 (1) : 81–104. 24 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Place, Publisher
Cham: Springer

Abstract

The article discusses the results of three empirical studies and data analysis concerning the conceptualization of time. Clustering patterns in studies 1 and 2, in which participants were asked to group time related words in terms of similarity, revealed that the everyday meanings of time can be defined in terms of experiences of change and continuity, linear organization, tempo, and boundaries. Study 3 demonstrated that the inclusion of space words in the set of items to be grouped had little or no effect on clustering patterns of time words. The analysis of over 2,000 time-related words in Roget’s Thesaurus also demonstrated the existence of clustering patterns. The results provide insights into how people conceptualize and use such abstract notions as time, in particular in figurative language.