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Abstract:
ERPs were recorded from 28 normal adults as they read
sentences which ended with words used literally, metaphorically, or
in a *literal mapping* condition. In the latter condition, we used
the literal sense of a word in a way that prompts the reader to map
conceptual structure from a different domain. For example: LITERAL:
That stone we saw in the natural history museum is a gem. METAPHOR:
After giving it some thought, I realized the new idea is a gem.
LITERAL MAPPING: The ring was made of tin, with a pebble instead of
a gem. Although the term "gem" is used in (c) to convey its
conventional literal meaning, it exploits an abstract relational
correspondence, not unlike the analogical connection in (b). In the
N400 latency range (300-500 ms poststimulus onset), the three
ending types differed as a function of metaphoricity: literal
endings elicited the smallest N400, metaphoric endings elicited the
largest, and literal mappings were intermediate. In a subsequent
latency range, metaphoric endings elicited a positivity largest
over posterior sites, while literal mappings elicited a positivity
over anterior scalp, especially evident on the right. Contrary to
the predictions of the Standard Pragmatic Model, ERPs elicited in
the literal mapping condition looked more like metaphors than
literal endings. Results were more consistent with conceptual
integration theory which posits a continuum from conventional
meanings to novel metaphors.
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