Similarity is closeness: Metaphorical mapping in a conceptual task

Abstract

The conceptual metaphor theory states that abstract concepts are represented by image schemas from concrete domains. In the present study we investigated the mapping for SIMILARITY IS CLOSENESS using tasks with nonlinguistic materials. In Experiments 1 and 2 participants decided whether two squares were similar or dissimilar in colour. The spatial distance between the squares was varied. Performance to similar colours was better at shorter distances, whereas performance to dissimilar colours was better at longer distances. In Experiments 3 and 4 participants made distance decisions to similar and dissimilar colours squares. Performance was not affected by similarity. These results show that metaphorical mappings can be found even beyond the context of linguistic metaphors and that the mapping between SIMILARITY and CLOSENESS is asymmetrical.

Spatial distance effects on incremental semantic interpretation of abstract sentences: Evidence from eye tracking

“…The results presented in this paper extend previous findings of spatial distance effects on similarity ratings (Casasanto, 2008) and response times (Boot & Pecher, 2010) to incremental language processing. They also provide strong evidence for the role of spatial information in abstract language comprehension in agreement with theories of grounded cognition (see Lakoff & Johnson, 1999).…”

“…Response times were shorter when colored squares were similar and close to each other (vs. far apart), and when differently-colored squares were far apart (vs. close to each other). Together, Boot and Pecher (2010) and Casasanto's (2008) findings suggest that representations of spatial distance are mapped onto the more abstract concept of similarity and that this mapping modulates offline behavioral measures.…”

“…Ratings for faces were also modulated by spatial distance but showed the opposite pattern: Faces were rated as more dissimilar when presented close together (vs. far apart). In a related study, Boot and Pecher (2010) asked participants to perform speeded judgements 1 Note that the present study is not aimed at testing the assumptions of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (i.e., how relations between spatial distance and semantic similarity emerge). Instead, we informed our hypothesis about potential links between visual information and abstract language from Conceptual Metaphor Theory.…”

The body and the fading away of abstract concepts and words: a sign language analysis

“…The most influential one is probably the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, which states that abstract concepts are represented by image schemas derived from concrete domains. Evidence supporting this theory has shown for example that similarity is represented as closeness, categories as containers, and that the abstract notion of time is mapped onto the concrete domain of space (e.g., Lakoff and Johnson, 1980; Gibbs and Steen, 1999; Boroditsky and Ramscar, 2002; Casasanto and Boroditsky, 2008; Boot and Pecher, 2010, 2011; Casasanto et al, 2010; Flusberg et al, 2010; Lai and Boroditsky, 2013). …”

Similarity judgments of same-category object representations: Effects of physical size, manipulability, and word frequency

“…Research has also focused on how the relationships between two object representations might influence the relationships observed between two physical objects. Casasanto (2008) as well as Boot and Pecher (2010), for instance, reported that spatial proximity affects people's similarity judgments of corresponding concepts such that two objects standing close to each other are perceived as being more similar than two objects standing far from each other. Nevertheless, similarity studies have never explored the structure of within-category psychological space.…”