Publications

Publication details [#9824]

Schweigert, Wendy A., Jennifer Cintron, Karin Sullivan, Emily Ilic Bradley, et al., Shannon Ellis, Carrie Dobrowits and Crystal Roberts. 2003. Novel figurative phrases and idioms: Phrase characteristics over multiple presentations. Journal of psycholinguistic research 32 (4) : 455–475. 21 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English

Abstract

In a series of three studies, characteristics of novel figurative phrases were compared with those of established idioms. Studies 1 and 2 found that certain correlations were found to be strong and in one direction for familiar idioms and comparably strong but in the opposite direction for novel figurative phrases, with the correlations for less familiar idioms usually falling partway between these extremes. Study 2 also noted that written or auditory presentation had minimal effects on characteristic ratings. In Study 3 the correlations among characteristics stayed relatively constant for familiar idioms after one, three, or six presentations, but for the novel figurative phrases, after multiple presentations the correlations changed in the direction of the established idioms. (Wendy A. Schweigert et al.)