How metaphor shapes thought
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- The way we talk about complex and abstract ideas is suffused with metaphor. In a series of behavioral experiments and computational simulations, I explore how these metaphors influence the way that we reason about complex issues. I find that even the subtlest instantiation of a metaphor (via a single word) can have a powerful influence on how people attempt to solve social problems like crime and how they gather information to make ''well-informed'' decisions. Interestingly, I find that the influence of the metaphorical framing effect is covert: people do not recognize metaphors as influential in their decisions; instead they point to more ''substantive'' (often numerical) information as the motivation for their problem-solving decision. I also investigate the underlying mechanisms and contextual factors that support and influence how this process unfolds. Metaphors in language appear to instantiate frame-consistent knowledge structures and invite structurally consistent inferences. Far from being mere rhetorical flourishes, metaphors have profound influences on how we conceptualize and act with respect to important societal issues.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic; electronic resource; remote |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Publication date | 2012 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Associated with | Thibodeau, Paul Henry |
|---|---|
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Psychology |
| Primary advisor | Boroditsky, Lera |
| Thesis advisor | Boroditsky, Lera |
| Thesis advisor | McClelland, James L |
| Thesis advisor | McClure, Samuel M |
| Advisor | McClelland, James L |
| Advisor | McClure, Samuel M |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Paul H. Thibodeau. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Psychology. |
| Thesis | Thesis (Ph.D.)--Stanford University, 2012. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2012 by Paul Henry Thibodeau
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).
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