Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall

Different levels of conceptual similarity in equivalent visual structures may determine the way meaning is attributed to images. The degree to which two depicted objects are of the same kind limits interpretive possibilities. In the current research, visual hyponyms (objects of the same kind) were c...

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Main Authors: Luuk Lagerwerf, Margot Van Mulken, Jefta B. Lagerwerf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-10-01
Series:Frontiers in Communication
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1266813/full
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author Luuk Lagerwerf
Margot Van Mulken
Jefta B. Lagerwerf
author_facet Luuk Lagerwerf
Margot Van Mulken
Jefta B. Lagerwerf
author_sort Luuk Lagerwerf
collection DOAJ
description Different levels of conceptual similarity in equivalent visual structures may determine the way meaning is attributed to images. The degree to which two depicted objects are of the same kind limits interpretive possibilities. In the current research, visual hyponyms (objects of the same kind) were contrasted with visual metaphors and unrelated object pairs. Hyponyms are conceptually more similar than metaphor's source and target, or two unrelated objects. Metaphorically related objects share a ground for comparison that lacks between unrelated objects. We expected viewers to interpret hyponyms more quickly than metaphors or unrelated objects. For liking, there were competing predictions: hyponyms are appreciated more because they are easier, or metaphors are liked more because successful cognitive effort is rewarded. In the first experiment viewers were asked to identify relationships in 27 object pairs. Hyponyms were identified faster than metaphors and metaphors faster than unrelated objects. In the second experiment, with the same materials, viewers were asked to rate appreciation for each object pair. This reduced viewing times substantially. Appreciation was higher for hyponyms than for visual metaphors. In a third experiment with the same materials, exposure duration was varied. Hyponyms were preferred to metaphors and unrelated objects irrespective of exposure duration.
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spelling doaj.art-beeb89d2ffc24e81bd793d6be2040b442023-10-26T22:31:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2023-10-01810.3389/fcomm.2023.12668131266813Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recallLuuk Lagerwerf0Margot Van Mulken1Jefta B. Lagerwerf2Department of Language, Literature, and Communication, Network Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Modern Languages and Cultures, Centre for Language Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, NetherlandsFaculty of Social Sciences, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, NetherlandsDifferent levels of conceptual similarity in equivalent visual structures may determine the way meaning is attributed to images. The degree to which two depicted objects are of the same kind limits interpretive possibilities. In the current research, visual hyponyms (objects of the same kind) were contrasted with visual metaphors and unrelated object pairs. Hyponyms are conceptually more similar than metaphor's source and target, or two unrelated objects. Metaphorically related objects share a ground for comparison that lacks between unrelated objects. We expected viewers to interpret hyponyms more quickly than metaphors or unrelated objects. For liking, there were competing predictions: hyponyms are appreciated more because they are easier, or metaphors are liked more because successful cognitive effort is rewarded. In the first experiment viewers were asked to identify relationships in 27 object pairs. Hyponyms were identified faster than metaphors and metaphors faster than unrelated objects. In the second experiment, with the same materials, viewers were asked to rate appreciation for each object pair. This reduced viewing times substantially. Appreciation was higher for hyponyms than for visual metaphors. In a third experiment with the same materials, exposure duration was varied. Hyponyms were preferred to metaphors and unrelated objects irrespective of exposure duration.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1266813/fullvisual metaphorhyponymypragmaticsexperimentcognitive processingFluency Theory
spellingShingle Luuk Lagerwerf
Margot Van Mulken
Jefta B. Lagerwerf
Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
Frontiers in Communication
visual metaphor
hyponymy
pragmatics
experiment
cognitive processing
Fluency Theory
title Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
title_full Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
title_fullStr Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
title_full_unstemmed Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
title_short Conceptual similarity and visual metaphor: effects on viewing times, appreciation, and recall
title_sort conceptual similarity and visual metaphor effects on viewing times appreciation and recall
topic visual metaphor
hyponymy
pragmatics
experiment
cognitive processing
Fluency Theory
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2023.1266813/full
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AT margotvanmulken conceptualsimilarityandvisualmetaphoreffectsonviewingtimesappreciationandrecall
AT jeftablagerwerf conceptualsimilarityandvisualmetaphoreffectsonviewingtimesappreciationandrecall