When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise
The present study aims to understand how metaphors are used in explanations. According to many current theories, metaphors have a conceptual function for the understanding of abstract objects. From this theoretical assumption, we derived the hypothesis that the lower the expertise of the addressee o...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Language Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1474924/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850065461069217792 |
|---|---|
| author | Ingrid Scharlau Miriam Körber Meghdut Sengupta Henning Wachsmuth |
| author_facet | Ingrid Scharlau Miriam Körber Meghdut Sengupta Henning Wachsmuth |
| author_sort | Ingrid Scharlau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present study aims to understand how metaphors are used in explanations. According to many current theories, metaphors have a conceptual function for the understanding of abstract objects. From this theoretical assumption, we derived the hypothesis that the lower the expertise of the addressee of an explanation, the more metaphors should be used. We tested this hypothesis on a relatively natural data set of 24 published videos with close to 100,000 words overall in which experts explain abstract, mostly scientific concepts to persons of different expertise, varying from minimal (children) to profound (expert). Contrary to our expectations, the frequency of metaphors did not decrease with expertise, but actually increased. This increase could be statistically substantiated with higher differences in expertise. The study contributes to a better understanding of the use of metaphors in actual explanatory processes and how metaphor use depends on contextual factors. It thus supports the expansion of the conceptual and linguistic perspective on metaphors to include the aspect of how metaphors are used by speakers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4ebd3f40a9984afeb157c3012d190070 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2813-4605 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Language Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-4ebd3f40a9984afeb157c3012d1900702025-08-20T02:49:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Language Sciences2813-46052024-12-01310.3389/flang.2024.14749241474924When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertiseIngrid Scharlau0Miriam Körber1Meghdut Sengupta2Henning Wachsmuth3Cognitive Psychology and Didactics of Psychology, Paderborn University, Paderborn, GermanyCognitive Psychology and Didactics of Psychology, Paderborn University, Paderborn, GermanyNatural Language Processing Group, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, GermanyNatural Language Processing Group, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, GermanyThe present study aims to understand how metaphors are used in explanations. According to many current theories, metaphors have a conceptual function for the understanding of abstract objects. From this theoretical assumption, we derived the hypothesis that the lower the expertise of the addressee of an explanation, the more metaphors should be used. We tested this hypothesis on a relatively natural data set of 24 published videos with close to 100,000 words overall in which experts explain abstract, mostly scientific concepts to persons of different expertise, varying from minimal (children) to profound (expert). Contrary to our expectations, the frequency of metaphors did not decrease with expertise, but actually increased. This increase could be statistically substantiated with higher differences in expertise. The study contributes to a better understanding of the use of metaphors in actual explanatory processes and how metaphor use depends on contextual factors. It thus supports the expansion of the conceptual and linguistic perspective on metaphors to include the aspect of how metaphors are used by speakers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1474924/fullmetaphorconceptual metaphorconceptual metaphor theorymetaphor usageexplainingexplanation |
| spellingShingle | Ingrid Scharlau Miriam Körber Meghdut Sengupta Henning Wachsmuth When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise Frontiers in Language Sciences metaphor conceptual metaphor conceptual metaphor theory metaphor usage explaining explanation |
| title | When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| title_full | When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| title_fullStr | When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| title_full_unstemmed | When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| title_short | When to use a metaphor: metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| title_sort | when to use a metaphor metaphors in dialogical explanations with addressees of different expertise |
| topic | metaphor conceptual metaphor conceptual metaphor theory metaphor usage explaining explanation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1474924/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ingridscharlau whentouseametaphormetaphorsindialogicalexplanationswithaddresseesofdifferentexpertise AT miriamkorber whentouseametaphormetaphorsindialogicalexplanationswithaddresseesofdifferentexpertise AT meghdutsengupta whentouseametaphormetaphorsindialogicalexplanationswithaddresseesofdifferentexpertise AT henningwachsmuth whentouseametaphormetaphorsindialogicalexplanationswithaddresseesofdifferentexpertise |