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A Review of the Research on Metaphoric Competence

Authors:
Modern Linguistics 现代语言学, 2020, 8(2), 162-171
Published Online April 2020 in Hans. http://www.hanspub.org/journal/ml
https://doi.org/10.12677/ml.2020.82024
文章引用: 袁芳. 隐喻能力研究综述[J]. 现代语言学, 2020, 8(2): 162-171.
DOI: 10.12677/ml.2020.82024
A Review of the Research on Metaphoric
Competence
Fang Yuan
School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian Liaoning
Received: Mar. 2nd, 2020; accepted: Apr. 7th, 2020; published: Apr. 14th, 2020
Abstract
Metaphoric competence is the capacity of people to recognize, understand, generate metaphors,
even communicate metaphorically. Metaphoric competence is closely related to people’s innova-
tive thinking ability, and its importance is self-evident in the context of the national emphasis on
cultivating college students’ innovative thinking ability. By reviewing relevant research, this paper
finds that the study of metaphoric competence has received certain attention from researchers,
and summarizes 5 key factors influencing metaphoric competence, including age, linguistic profi-
ciency, creativity, cognitive style and gender, pointing out the achievements and research gaps of
previous studies, in order to provide feasible directions for relevant research on metaphoric
competence in the future.
Keywords
Metaphoric Competence, Communicative Competence, Creativity, Influencing Factors
隐喻能力研究综述
大连理工大学外国语学院,辽 大连
收稿日期:202032日;录用日期:202047日;发布日期:2020414
隐喻能力是人们识别、理解和生成隐喻并将其置于语言交际的能力。隐喻能力与人的创新思维能力密切
相关,在国家强调培养大学生的创新思维能力背景下,其重要性不言而喻。通过综述相关文献,本文发
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现隐喻能力研究得到了学界的一些关注,影响隐喻能力主要5个关键因素,包括年龄、语言水平、创
造力、认知风格和性别。并总结了以往研究所取得成就与不足,以期为隐喻能力相关研究提供一定借鉴
意义的参考和方向。
关键词
隐喻能力,交际能力,创新性,影响因素
Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and Hans Publishers Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
1. 引言
隐喻性语言(figurative language)如隐喻、习语等在语言交际中无处不在,具有跨文化的普遍性另一
方面,它又不仅是一种语言现象,更是一种思维方式,存在着跨文化的差异性(Lakoff, 1980) [1]。作为隐
喻性语言最突出的代表,隐喻从古希腊时期起就得到了关注,并一直被作为修辞来进行研究。亚里士多
(Aristotle)认为隐喻是一个词替代另一个词来表达同一意义的一种语言手段[2]20 世纪后半叶,受到哲
学、认知语义学以及不断发展的认知科学的影响,隐喻的研究开始向认知科学转向,1980 年,Lakoff
念隐喻理论的提出标志着认知语言学的开端。中国认知语言学研究会在 2017 年和 2019 年分别在南京
师范大学和北京外国语大学召开的两届全国认知语言学学术研讨会,其中隐喻都是会议的热门专题之一。
隐喻能力是母语者使用本族语的基本特征,是构成母语者概念流利的基本要素之一。从外语学习的角度
看,发展隐喻能力、掌握目标语的隐喻表达无疑应当成为外语学习者努力追求的目标(陈道明,1998 [3]
严世清,2001 [4];姜孟,2006 [5];李毅,2009 [6];李爱华,2016 [7];潘艳艳&孙凤兰,2017 [8])。此
外,Kathpalia, et al. (2011) [9]Arib (2012) [10]Aintzane & Carme (2013) [11]linska, et al. (2016) [12]
分别强调了隐喻能力在英语二语教学中写作、比喻性词汇习得、隐喻思维形成和专业沟通的重要性。
随着应用认知语言学研究的不断深入,隐喻能力研究日益引起国内外学者的重视。国外隐喻能力研
究起步较早,早在 20 世纪 70 年代末,Flahiv & Carrell (1977) [13]Gardner & Winner (1978) [14]等就已
经开始对隐喻能力进行研究国内隐喻能力研究虽起步较晚,但自 1998 年陈道明在《外国语》上发表
一篇关于隐喻能力的文献以来,发展迅速,主要以陈朗、魏耀章、石进芳、袁凤识等学者的研究为代表
本文特别关注了 1977 年至 2018 年的论文文献。以“隐喻能力(metaphoric competence)”为搜索词,使用
的数据库为 Web of Science (核心论文集)和中国知网(核心期刊)检索所得文献数为 71 篇,对应的发表
年份如1所示,前期(1977~2010)为摸索期,2011 年来为攀升期,该领域研究获得愈来愈多的关注。
文主要就隐喻能力的定义及其关键影响因素进行了介绍。最后总结了隐喻能力研究领域的研究空白,在
此基础上,提出了未来研究的总体方向和建议。
2. 关于隐喻能力的研究
2.1. 隐喻能力的定义
20 世纪 70 年代末,Flahiv & Carrell (1977)Gardner & Winner (1978)以及 Pollio & Smith (1980) [15]
等学者进行了多项研究,先后提出了隐喻能力这一概念。此后,其他学者如 Danesi (1986) [16]Low
(1988) [17]等相继对隐喻能力展开了进一步的深入研究。
Open Access
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Figure 1. The developmental trend of the number of literatures on metaphoric competence
1. 隐喻能力文献刊载量发展趋势图
由于研究目标不同,研究者对隐喻能力构成要素的界定并不相同(袁凤识,2014) [18]隐喻能力有狭
义和广义之说。狭义的隐喻能力一般包括隐喻理解归纳能力和隐喻产出能力两个方面。Gardner & Winner
(1978)认为隐喻能力应包括一些转释隐喻、解释隐喻有效性的理据、在特定语境中生成恰当的隐喻以及评
价隐喻表达是否恰当的能力。Pollio & Smith (1980)认为隐喻能力有 3个构成要素:原创性、流利性以及
提取隐喻意义的能力。在此基础上,Littlemore (2001) [19]又增加了提取隐喻意义的速的要素。
Kogan (1983) [20]认为隐喻能力就指理解与产出隐喻的能力。Azuma (2005) [21]认为隐喻能力包括辨认
力、运用能力和概念理解能力Iijima & Murrow (2006) [22]则认为隐喻能力是隐喻识别、解释和产出能
力。王寅和李弘(2004) [23]认为隐喻能力主要包括人们能够识别、理解和创建跨域概念类比联系的能力,
这里不仅包括能被动地理解、学得隐喻,而且还包括能创造性使用隐喻的能力,更高目标还可包括丰富
的想像力和活跃的创新思维能力。隐喻能力是本族语者以语言感知世界的一种能力。狭义的隐喻能力更
多地是偏向于母语者的隐喻能力的发展。
广义的隐喻能力除涵盖狭义的隐喻能力外,还包括语用意识、喻功能等诸多方面,视角更为宏观(
保芳&袁凤识,2012 [24];许保芳,于巧丽&袁凤识,2014 [25])在二语教学(SLT)和二语习得(SLA)
域中,Danesi (1986)认为二语学习者真正具备交际能力的标志是能够运用目标语进行隐喻表达。Bachman
(1990) [26]认为,诠释修辞(包括隐喻)的能力也是二语者交际语言能力的一个重要方面。此后,Danesi (1992)
[27]进一步提到隐喻能力是母语者使用其母语的基本特征,是构成母语者概念流利(conceptual fluency)
基本要素之一,二语学习者只有掌握了目的语是如何在隐喻建构的基础上反映概念或对概念进行编码的
知识后才能达到与母语者一样的流利水平。Low (1988)提出一系列二语学习者需要掌握与目标语密切相
关的真正技能,称之为隐喻能力。他从 8个方面对英语二语学习者应该发展与隐喻有关的技能做了
较为详尽的归类,主要强调隐喻的社会互动功能(Littlemore & Low, 2006) [28]。陈 朗 (2013; 2016) [29]
[30]在回顾了以往隐喻能力的有关研究后,对其本质做出以下归纳:隐喻能力研究旨在揭示人作为隐喻的
创造者和使用者对隐喻进行概念上的深层加工水平,包括隐喻的理解和产出水平及个体在加工过程中表
现出来的共性、个性、特点和规律,同时揭示人借助隐喻实现语言交际的基本过程和效果。
从以上不同学者对隐喻能力的定义可看出,大多数学者关注到是狭义的隐喻能力,并试图将其放置
到语言交际中。本文根据以上文献的定义,将隐喻能力定义为个体理解、识别、生成隐喻的能力,且能
在言语交际中使用隐喻的能力
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2.2. 影响隐喻能力的因素
隐喻能力对母语者和二语学习者的重要性不言而喻。鉴于隐喻能力的重要性,不同学者对影响隐喻
能力的因素展开了研究。本文通过对相关研究的综述,主要有五点因素:年龄、语言水平、创造力、认
知风格和性别。本文以下就每项影响因素进行详细论述。
2.2.1. 年龄的影响研究
就母语者而言,语言学家和心理学家主要关注儿童的隐喻能力发展。换言之,他们研究儿童如何理
解隐喻,何时开始生成隐喻。这部分研究的被试对象主要是儿童,包括正常发展和特殊儿童,或青少年。
整体而言,年龄越大的儿童,具备更强的隐喻能力。
Gardner Winner (1978)研究了幼儿隐喻能力的形成。他们开展了三项独立研究。研究表明 10 岁儿
童比 6岁儿童能更好地理解隐喻。儿童在 3岁半时开始生成隐喻。但是 34岁的儿童比 7岁、11 岁的
儿童生成了更为恰当的隐喻。这表明随着年龄的增长,儿童生成隐喻的恰当性并不定是正向提高。
Marschark Nall (1985) [31]讨论了隐喻能力在儿童语言和认知发展中的作用。Vosniadou Ortony (1986)
[32]研究了口头释义任务造成幼儿在隐喻理解测试中的部分困难。阅读了一个以隐喻句结尾的短篇故事后,
一半的儿童被要求直接解释隐喻句,而另一半则被要求在现实环境中用玩具表演出来。研究结果表明释
义任务降低了幼儿对隐喻的理解。侧面印证了隐喻理解是深深植根于人类的身体经验和具身感知。
Gottfried (1997) [33]采用了一种新方法来测试儿童生成隐喻并合成隐喻复合词的能力。结果表明,当刺激
和木偶标签启动对隐喻相似性和复合词生成的识别时,3岁的儿童可以产生有目的性的,恰当的隐喻进
而并入隐喻复合词。学龄前儿童具有使用隐喻语言的早期能力,但在 3岁和 5岁以及超过 5岁的年龄点
有着显着的发展变化。
周榕(2001; 2003) [34] [35]从产出和理解两方面探索了儿童时间隐喻能力的发展趋势。结果发现,儿
童时间隐喻产出和理解能力随年龄的增长而增强,三四年级是基本形成时间隐喻能力的转折时期,到六
年级这种能力趋于成熟。对不同的时间隐喻类型,儿童有不同的掌握阶段。对时间的拟人手法和空间隐
喻则是儿童最早发展掌握的,而抽象程度高的时间隐喻,如基于改变者效应的隐喻,是儿
童较难也是较晚掌握的时间隐喻。潘攀和周榕(2018) [36]使用自然观察法和定性描述法,通过个案研究,
描述并探究学前儿童新奇隐喻产出的句法构成特点的发展变化及其反映的认知规律。研究发现名词性隐
喻在儿童新奇隐喻产出中占有数量上的绝对优势。
此外,一部分研究是以特殊儿童为被试展开的特殊儿童隐喻能力研究,对比特殊儿童和正常发展儿
童的隐喻能力差异。特殊儿童多患有学习障碍,或威廉姆斯综合征,高功能自闭症,自闭症谱群疾病等。
结果发现特殊儿童在规约隐喻理解上,不如正常发展儿童(Lee & Kamhi, 1990 [37]Herwegen etal., 2013
[38];郑琴,贾忠&梁丹丹,2015 [39]);但在新奇隐喻的理解上,能与正常发展儿童达到同等水平,
至在新奇隐喻的生成上,表现出更强的能力,令人称奇(Kasirera & Mashal, 2014) [40]
2.2.2. 语言水平的影响研究
关于语言水平对隐喻能力的影响,有所争议,主要有两种对立观点:一是语言水平与隐喻能力具有
积极的相关性,如大部分研究所证实的;第二种观点则是以袁凤识学者为代表的无关论,即语言水
平和隐喻能力之间没有显著的相关性。此处的隐喻能力包括隐喻解释能力,隐喻归纳能力(都为隐喻理解
/加工能力)和隐喻生成能力。这部分研究主要考察的是二语水平对二语隐喻能力的影响。
姜孟(2006)本文通过对低、高两语言水平组英语专业学习者在同等条件下为 36 道英语完形题目提供
隐喻、隐喻答案的情况进行考察,获得两点结论:1) 低、高两组受试的隐喻能力发展水平都比较有限,
2) 高水平组的隐喻能力比低水平组高。关于母语迁移能力,Littlemore (2010) [41]发现,如果被试在一语
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中表现出高水平的隐喻能力,他们将在二语中仍表现出高水平的隐喻能力。此外,被试在一语中比在二
语中表现出更高的隐喻流利性,但更容易在二语隐喻中提取意义。石进芳(2012) [42]通过考察高、低两语
言水平组英语学习者的隐喻能力,探究了母语概念迁移能力、隐喻能力和英语水平三者之间的发展关系。
结果显示,两组受试者的隐喻能力都较低,但高水平组显著高于低水平组;高水平阶段,母语概念迁移
能力对外语隐喻能力的促进作用减弱,同时隐喻能力对语言水平的影响力下降。魏耀章(2012) [43]从总
上证实了外语学习者的隐喻理解既是一个认知能力问题,也是一个语言水平问题,认知能力和语言水平
在隐喻理解中都起着非常明显的作用。Aleshtara Dowlatabadib (2014) [44]研究了伊朗 EFL 学习者的隐
喻能力与他们的语言水平之间存在的关系。结果显示,被试的语言能力与他们的隐喻能力正相关。换言
之,具有较高语言水平的被试也将具有更高的隐喻能力。WangHungchun ChengYuhshow (2016) [45]
讨了二语英语学习者的英语水平,创造力和创造力动机能否预测他们的英语隐喻生成能力。结果表明,
英语水平同创造力能显著地预测隐喻生成能力。
袁凤识、郭涛(2014) [46]的研究结果支语言水平不是影响隐喻解释能力的主要因素观 点 ,认
为隐喻解释的差异性主要与认知因素有关。中国外语学习者的隐喻解释能力并不低于英语本族语者。袁
凤识、郭涛(2014) [47]的研究结果并不支持普遍认为中国英语学习者隐喻能力较低的结论。隐喻能
力在本质上应该是认知性的,而不是语言性的。袁凤识和张新彬(2015) [48]认为语言水平可能不是影响被
试概念隐喻归纳能力的关键变量。魏耀章(2015) [49]认为认知能力和语言水平在中国英语学习者隐喻生成
过程中起着不同的作用。具体而言,认知能力对隐喻生成有明显的预测力,而语言水平的预测力并不明
显。对不同认知能力和不同语言水平学习者的隐喻生成而言,认知能力的解释力始终明显,而语言水平
的作用并没有变化。
2.2.3. 创造力的影响研究
总体而言,隐喻能力与创造力正相关,创造力愈高,隐喻能力也愈高。GlicksohnKraemer Yisraeli
(1993) [50]完成了一项关于隐喻生成能力(其称之为隐喻思维)与创造力之间关系的实证研究。他们认为二
者是相关的,使用巴伦符号等效性测试(Barron Symbolic Equivalence Test)来评估被试的隐喻生成能力
采用缩略版替代用途测验(Alternate Uses Test)来评估被试的思维流畅性即创造力。结果发现隐喻生成能
力与创造力(思维流畅性)显著地正相关。
魏耀章和苑冰(2009) [51]过测试中国英语学习者创造力水平及其隐喻生成能力,并通过控制英语语
言水平对创造力与隐喻生成能力的关系进行了探讨。结果表明,创造力和隐喻生成能力之间存在显著的
正相关关系。WangHungchun ChengYuhshow (2016)探究了二语英语学习者生成新颖隐喻的能力,其
讨了二语英语学习者的英语水平,创造力和创造力动机能否预测他们的英语隐喻生成能力。他们借用
Guilford的创造性定义,并将其转变为隐喻创造力:隐喻流利性,隐喻灵活性,隐喻原创性和隐喻性阐述。
结果表明,只有英语水平和创造力才能显著地预测隐喻生成能力。
KenettGold Faust (2018) [52]对比研究了高创造性个体和低创造性个体在词对的语义相关性判断
任务的表现。结果表明,与低创造性个体相比高创造性个体能更快地理解规约和新颖两种类型的隐喻。
此外,仅在理解新奇隐喻时,高创造性个体才能比低创造性个体更为显著性准确Kasirera Mashal (2018)
[53]着力于研究有助于生成新颖隐喻的认知能力,并调查思维流畅性和相似性如何有助于新颖隐喻的产生。
研究结果表明,思维的流畅性有助于预测创造潜能,对规约隐喻的生成无预测性。新颖隐喻生成能力是
独特且独立的一部分创造潜能,与概念的流畅性成反比。
2.2.4. 认知风格的影响研究
认知风格主要分为场独立型和场依存型、思索型和冲动型、整体型和分析型。目前关于此方面的研
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究比较有限,且尚未形成较为一致的观点。Fine Lockwood (1986) [54]试图研究出频繁使用隐喻的人群
认知风格有何特点,以及这个人群与不频繁使用隐喻的人群的认知风格有什么不同之处。他的研究中,
主题感知测试(TAT)Rorschach Inkblot 测试被用作测量工具。以描述性的方式,试图比较两类人群的认
知风格。Johnson Rosano (1993) [55]的研究发现通过区块设计测试(block designs test)测量的场依存型认
知风格与二语隐喻阐释的流畅性(被试为特定隐喻给出的解释的数量)之间存在显著的关系。此外,
Littlemore (2001)研究了隐喻能力及其与二语学习和二语教学的关系。她的研究衡量了被试一语和二语中
隐喻能力的四个要素:a) 生成隐喻的原创性,b) 提取隐喻意义的能力,c) 提取隐喻意义的速度,以及
d) 隐喻阐释的流畅性。提取隐喻意义的速度与整体认知风格显著相关。许保芳、袁凤识和王立非(2012) [56]
利用镶嵌图形测验和隐喻理解水平测试,对不同认知风格的隐喻理解水平的差异进行了研究。结果发现:
在没有语境情况下,场独立型被试的隐喻理解水平显著高于场依存型被试,认知风格与隐喻理解存在显
著的相关关系。
2.2.5. 性别的影响研究
学者对性别与隐喻能力的影响关注较少。本文综述的相关文献中,主要有 Boers (2000) [57]发现
不同性别对隐喻主题的偏好不同。女性经常用分享感情和秘密来谈论爱情和友谊,而男人则用建
筑形象来构造这些概念。然而,Littlemore (2001)在认知风格测试,语言交际能力测试和隐喻能力测验
三项测试结果中,并未发现显著的性别差异。许保芳、袁凤识和王立非(2012)利用镶嵌图形测验和隐
喻理解水平测试,研究了不同性别被试的隐喻理解水平的差异。结果发现不同性别被试的认知风格和
隐喻理解水平都有统计学上的显著性差异,女性隐喻理解水平显著高于男性。本文认为隐喻能力中是
否有显著的性别差异在很大程度上取决于隐喻任务的类型和主题。就隐喻目标领域而言,例爱与
友情男性和女性在描述时有不同的偏好。但就某些隐喻能力测试而言,男性和女性被试的表现没
有显着差异。
2.2.6. 其他影响因素研究
除了上述主要影响因素外,其他影响隐喻能力的因素,如阅读水平、隐喻类型、工作记忆、流体智
力等也得到了学者的注意。苏远连(2012) [58]在隐喻生涯假说的框架下考察英语专业高年级学生隐喻能力
的发展,结果表明隐喻的类型对二语学习者隐喻能力的发展起决定性作用。赵倩,余亮和杨艳青(2014) [59]
研究了中国英语学习者的隐喻接受能力和阅读能力之间的相关性。结果表明,二者存在显着的相关性,
精通英语阅读的二语学习者更倾向于具有更高的隐喻能力。Chiappe & Chiappe (2007) [60]测试了 Kintsch
的预测模型(Predication Model)。研究表明具有较强工作记忆力的个体能以更快的速度更好地解释隐喻。
高工作记忆的人群更容易生成隐喻。综上,隐喻理解和隐喻生成是一个复杂的过程,除了相关变量的影
响,隐喻任务的多样性,还需要大脑多功能模块的加入,实现精密加工
关于流体智力的影响研究,主要观点是隐喻智力能在一定程度上预测新奇隐喻的生成。Silvia & Beaty
(2012) [61]通过探究流体智力(Gf)在新奇隐喻生成中的作用,探索智力与创造力之间的关系。他们要求被
试在完成六项 Gf 非语言测试(主要是归纳推理测试)后,生成描述过去情绪体验的隐喻。潜变量模型发现
Gf 约解释了隐喻质量方差的 24% (标准化 β = 0.49),这与创造性思维涉及执行过程和执行能力的观点一
致。随之,Beaty & Silvia (2013) [62]探讨了 Cattell-Horn-Carroll 智力模型中的流体智力(Gf)晶体智力(Gc)
和广泛检索能力(Gr)是否有助于生成规约隐喻和新颖隐喻。结果发现,对于新颖隐喻,Gf (β = 0.45)Gr
(β = 0.52)有很大的影响;对于规约隐喻比喻,Gc 有中度影响(β = 0.30)这表明新颖隐喻更多地依赖于
行过程,而规约隐喻主要靠习得的词汇知识Gao 等人(2017) [63]实了这样一个假设:在约会的背景下,
女性对男性的智力评分与该男性生成的对女性外表评价的隐喻性语言显著相关。
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3. 隐喻能力研究的反思与展望
30 年来,隐喻能力研究一直是心理语言学、应用语言学的研究热点。且由隐喻能力衍生出隐喻
用能力的探究(王松鹤&周华,2012) [64]隐喻话语能力构建(陈朗,2018) [65]和隐喻认知能力的探究(
凤识,2014) [18]通过回顾以上文献,可以发现目前已有的研究主要存在以下两个方面的问题:首先,
从研究的语言对象角度来看,目前缺乏针对二语的隐喻能力研究,大部分的研究集中在以一语为对象的
研究,且大都是集中在隐喻理解方面。由于不同研究在其所使用理论框架、实验方法、实验语料、研究
目的等方面存在许多差异,从而导致有关隐喻能力的研究结果也存在分歧,而从二语(例如英语二语或汉
语二语)角度研究隐喻生成能力也许可以在一定程度上弥补这种分歧。其次,从变量的角度来看,工作记
忆、认知风格/流体智力与二语水平交叠因素的影响在隐喻能力中所起到的作用研究在深度和广度上远远
不够。
一般认为隐喻能力是识别,理解甚至自主产出隐喻的能力。古往今来,关于隐喻的研究浩如烟海,
但大部分都着眼于隐喻理解和识别,较少地涉足到隐喻生成,尤其是生成新奇隐喻。心理学中大多数关
于创造力和智力争议最后结论为创造力和智力是不同的能力,具有小范围的重叠。自 Wallach Kogan
(1965) [66]就这一主题开展具有里程碑意义的研究工作以来,究发现用发散性思维任务来衡量的创造性
认知与智力是共变的。一项关于智力和发散思维之间关系的元分析发现了 r = 0.17 的整体效应(Kim, 2005)
[67]与此同时,也有学者发现,智力与创造性认知之间具有更强的关系。生成创造性的想法,需要确定
和实施创意生成策略(Nusbaum & Silvia, 2011 [68]; Primi, 2014 [69]),对人们的注意力和思想施加控制
(Vartanian, 2009 [70]; Zabelina & Robinson, 2010 [71])做出决策并完善初步想法(Gabora, 2005) [72],并 抑
制不适宜的想法(Nusbaum & Silvia, 2011)。但研究这些执行能力与创新思维之间的关系还是有所争议的。
分析高层次能力,如流体智力(Gf)能产生比分析低层次能力和完成个人任务更强的关系(Silvia, 2008) [73]
新奇隐喻生成是一个需要付出较大认知努力的过程,而被试在自觉,较顺畅的情况下生成的隐喻多是从
记忆里唤醒的规约性隐喻。
综上,流体智力与母语者隐喻生成能力之间关系的研究受到的关注十分有限,而流体智力与二语者
隐喻生成能力之间更为复杂的相关性研究几乎为空白领域。研究流体智力与二语水平对中国二语者和以
英语为母语,汉语为二语的欧美双语者隐喻生成能力的影响十分有意义。此领域研究具有以下学术和实
际应用价值:1) 通过探究流体智力与隐喻生成能力的关系,对外语学科培养创新型人才有一定的启示意
义。2) 通过对母语、二语隐喻生成能力的对比研究,及英语二语者和汉语二语者的隐喻生成能力对比研
究,为二语习得理论和方法的发展提供更多证据。3) 通过对汉语二语者的隐喻生成能力研究,能够为汉
语国际教育研究提供基础理论支撑。
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... Thus, metaphorical competence is an important embodiment of children's experience of the world and internalization of knowledge. Current evidence has shown that the metaphorical competence, cognitive flexibility, and information processing speed increase along with children's development (Willinger et al., 2017;Yuan, 2020). It has been reported that the early cognitive and linguistic ability in metaphor comprehension was first charted in children's age between 3 and 5 (Wellman, 1990;Özcaliskan, 2005). ...
... The results of the current study demonstrated that children's ability to understand metaphorical sentences developed gradually considering the increased ACC and decreased RT of almost every type of sentence among children at different ages (Figures 2, 3). That is, as children get older, their cognitive abilities and language proficiency continue to advance, which has become the important foundation for their comprehension of metaphorical sentences (Zou, 2012;Yuan, 2020). Based on our findings, 5 years old could be seen as a period of "metaphor perception" during which children have the intuition of difference between literal sentences and metaphor; 6 and 7-year-old children experience a period of "metaphor development" as a significant difference of accuracy in metaphor could be observed (p < 0.05); 8-year-old children are in a period of "rational decision" period during which they have relative low reaction and high accuracy. ...
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The now-classic Metaphors We Live By changed our understanding of metaphor and its role in language and the mind. Metaphor, the authors explain, is a fundamental mechanism of mind, one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects. Because such metaphors structure our most basic understandings of our experience, they are "metaphors we live by"--metaphors that can shape our perceptions and actions without our ever noticing them. In this updated edition of Lakoff and Johnson's influential book, the authors supply an afterword surveying how their theory of metaphor has developed within the cognitive sciences to become central to the contemporary understanding of how we think and how we express our thoughts in language.