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Article published In: Aspects of Metaphor
Edited by Maria Theodoropoulou
[Review of Cognitive Linguistics 23:1] 2025
► pp. 131–151

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Regular articles

The physics of time

How visual entropy cues influence spatial conceptions of time

 | Sichuan International Studies University
 | Sichuan International Studies University
 | Southeast University
Published online: 15 September 2023
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/rcl.00161.wan
Abstract
According to the Temporal Focus Hypothesis, people’s orientations of sagittal spatiotemporal mappings are conditioned by their characteristic patterns of attention to the past and/or future. While a growing body of research has investigated how a variety of psychological, social, and environmental factors associated with temporal focus shape implicit space-time mappings, little is known about whether the degree of entropy in the visual context influences spatial conceptions of time. Based on the findings that high-entropy images invoke a past-focused mindset and low-entropy images invoke a future-focused mindset, the current work explores how entropy impacts people’s temporal focus and mental representations of time. In Study 1 involving a self-report measure of temporal focus, we found that while high-entropy images increased Chinese students’ attention to the past and led to more past-in-front responses, low-entropy images increased Chinese students’ attention to the future and led to more future-in-front responses. Using both self-reported measures and other-report ratings of temporal focus, Study 2 conceptually replicated the findings of Study 1 in a more diverse population. Considered together, these results bolster support for the Temporal Focus Hypothesis that entropy triggers corresponding changes in temporal focus and in mental sagittal space-time mappings.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Study 1
    • 2.1Method
      • 2.1.1Participants
      • 2.1.2Materials and procedure
    • 2.2Results and discussion
  • 3.Study 2
    • 3.1Method
      • 3.1.1Participants
      • 3.1.2Materials and procedure
    • 3.2Results and discussion
  • 4.General discussion
  • Notes
  • References
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