Publications

Publication details [#2695]

Boers, Frank and Jeannette Littlemore. 2000. Cognitive style variables in participants' explanations of conceptual metaphors. Metaphor and Symbol 15 (3) : 177–187. 11 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English

Abstract

A group of 71 university students were first asked to explain 3 conceptual metaphors. Then the participants' cognitive styles were classified into "analytic" or "holistic" and "imager" or "verbalizer" by means of the Riding (1991) computer-assisted test of cognitive styles. The results of the experiment revealed cognitive style variables in participants' preferred strategies to explain the metaphors: (a) "holistic thinkers" were more likely than "analytic" ones to blend their conception of the target domain with the source domain, and (b) "imagers" were more likely than "verbalizers" to refer to stereotypical images to explain the metaphors. (Frank Boers)