An investigation into the processes and mechanisms underlying the comprehension of metaphor and hyperbole
In this thesis I investigate the mechanisms and processes underlying figurative language comprehension. I attempt to determine whether there might be something unique about metaphor due to the interpretation processes involved, or whether metaphoric interpretations are in fact processed in the same way as other non-literal uses of language, such as hyperbole. Various theoretical accounts of figurative language interpretation from different pragmatic and psychological processing models are examined from an empirical perspective as a way of exploring the cognitive basis of their claims. Previous empirical research investigating metaphor comprehension is critically discussed not just from a psychological perspective, but also in relation to pragmatic accounts of figurative language. There is a plethora of past and current theoretical literature on metaphor, which over the last few decades has been discussed in relation to psycholinguistic research investigating metaphor processing. In contrast, despite recent unified pragmatic accounts of figurative language, which posit a unified account of metaphor, hyperbole, and other loose uses, there has been little, if any empirical research looking at hyperbole or other
Deamer, F. M.
An investigation into the processes and mechanisms underlying the comprehension of metaphor and hyperbole. In this thesis I investigate the mechanisms and processes underlying figurative language comprehension. I attempt to determine whether there might be something unique about metaphor due to the interpretation processes involved, or whether metaphoric interpretations are in fact processed in the same way as other non-literal uses of language, such as hyperbole. Various theoretical accounts of figurative language interpretation from different pragmatic and psychological processing models are examined from an empirical perspective as a way of exploring the cognitive basis of their claims. Previous empirical research investigating metaphor comprehension is critically discussed not just from a psychological perspective, but also in relation to pragmatic accounts of figurative language. There is a plethora of past and current theoretical literature on metaphor, which over the last few decades has been discussed in relation to psycholinguistic research investigating metaphor processing. In contrast, despite recent unified pragmatic accounts of figurative language, which posit a unified account of metaphor, hyperbole, and other loose uses, there has been little, if any empirical research looking at hyperbole or other
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