In:Producing Figurative Expression: Theoretical, experimental and practical perspectives
Edited by John Barnden and Andrew Gargett
[Figurative Thought and Language 10] 2020
► pp. 37–54
Producing metaphor (and other forms of non-literal language) in the laboratory
Structural and pragmatic effects as seen from the perspective of an experimental psycholinguist
Published online: 17 December 2020
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.10.02kat
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.10.02kat
Abstract
In this chapter I argue for the utility of
studying nonliteral language production in the laboratory. Three
aspects of nonliteral language production were provided as examples:
first, inducing non-literal language in interactive communication
(and identifying features of the produced language); second, using
production techniques to identify the discourse context in which
nonliteral language emerges and, finally, examining how production
techniques can inform about the basic cognitive mechanisms that
underlie metaphor usage.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Inducing the production of nonliteral language in interactive
communication
- 2.1The online discussion task
- 2.2The passage completion task
- 3.What is the ecology that invites metaphor or sarcasm
production?
- 3.1The discourse context generation task
- 4.Production techniques to study the underlying mechanisms of
metaphor
- 4.1The vehicle production task
- 4.2 The life event generation task
- 5.Concluding comments
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