Publications

Publication details [#1195]

Jia, Lile. 2013. Distance makes the metaphor grow stronger: A psychological distance model of metaphor use. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 49 : 492–497. 6 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English

Abstract

This article emerged from the need to examine how situational or dispositional factors influence people’s use of metaphors. Previous research by Landau, Sullivan, and Greenberg (2009) showed that preventing immigrants from entering the US could be metaphorically seen in terms of protecting one’s body from harmful bacteria. The first study discussed in this research paper analyzed the effect of temporal distance manipulation on the participants’ reactions toward immigration policy. Thus, participants used the ‘self-protection’ metaphor when they were asked to express their attitude regarding immigration in a temporally distant condition (a year later vs. tomorrow). In the second study, the participants who were asked to make predictions about spatially distant stock markets (Shanghai seen as located “roughly 10,000 miles away from here”) perceived the stock market metaphorically as an autonomous agent.