Metaphor: Theoretical and empirical research.

Metaphor plays a major role in our understanding of language and of the world we use language to talk about. Traditional definitions and theories of metaphor are reviewed, and it is suggested that many definitions err in equating metaphors with comparisons rather than merely implicating comparisons. Empirical research is reviewed that reveals serious problems, particularly in the developmental research. These problems often relate to inadequate underlying theories about the nature of metaphor, inadequate controls over preexisting knowledge, and conclusions that children cannot understand metaphors. Related research on the comprehension of proverbs and analogies is discussed. It is suggested that metaphor be redefined and an investigative approach be employed that will permit adequate controls of preexisting knowledge, surface structure, and meaning. This approach could emphasize and takes advantage of the context-dependent nature of metaphors. Finally, the role of comparisons is reexamined. (69 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and Data Interactions of the Scientific Mind: Evidence From the Molecular and the Cognitive Laboratory.

A number of researchers and scholars have stressed the importance of disconfirmation in the quest for the development of scientific knowledge (e.g., Popper, 1959). Paradoxically, studies examining human reasoning in the laboratory have typically found that people display a confirmation bias in that they are more likely to seek out and attend to data consistent rather than data inconsistent with their initial theory (Wason, 1968). We examine the strategies that scientists and students use to evaluate data that are either consistent or inconsistent with their expectations. First, we present findings from scientists reasoning "live" in their laboratory meetings. We show that scientists often show an initial reluctance to consider inconsistent data as "real." However, this initial reluctance is often overcome with repeated observations of the inconsistent data such that they modify their theories to account for the new data. We further examine these issues in a controlled scientific causal thinking simulation specifically developed to examine the reasoning strategies we observed in the natural scientific environment. Like the scientists, we found that participants in our simulation initially displayed a propensity to discount data inconsistent with a theory provided. However, with... (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Where lies social responsibility?

L. Krasner's article, "Behavior Control and Social Responsibility" (see record 1963-00116-001) bypassed several points of view which might clarify some of the issues discussed, and at the same time tone down what seems to be an exaggerated claim for urgency in dealing with problems of social responsibility. In the matter of considering moral and ethical issues, it is important to proceed with calmness and careful consideration rather than to become overly excited about finding the "right" solution. Even the "psychologist-researcher" is human and when he turns his hand to such things as communicating to the lay public he may fall into the pattern of the "sensationalists and popularizers," though obviously not so crudely. First among three basic questions and answers presented by Krasner is that concerning whether or not human behavior is controllable. His answer is to the effect that there is overwhelming experimental evidence that human behavior is controllable. Such a statement seems exaggerated in the face of other evidence from both experimental and clinical impressions. Krasner states that there is a "subtle but important" difference between the "psychology of behavior control" and the science of psychology. There are several objections to some of Krasner's implications that the behavioral scientist is not or at least is less bound by an ethical and moral system. There seem to be no logical grounds for distinguishing in principle between an ethics for behavioral scientists and an ethics for behavior controllers. The atomic scientists produced a bomb as scientists employed by their government while at war. They did their job effectively. As informed private citizens they held some moral reservations as to the consequences of their scientific endeavors. The behavioral scientist and the behavior controller can also perform their professional tasks dispassionately and efficiently, but as people they might well look to the ethical and moral issues involved. They can choose to take appropriate ethical and moral action as private citizens who have the advantages of specialized knowledge. The behavioral scientist and the behavior controller are not to be compartmentalized into a patchwork of separate roles, rather they are to see themselves as integrated individuals functioning in various ways which on occasion may bring about a conflict in ethical and moral values. Then they should be enabled to resolve the conflicts for themselves on a rational basis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Understanding AIDS developmentally: A comment on the November 1988 special issue on psychology and AIDS.

Comments on the concealment of major theoretical differences in psychology implied in the vague use of terms such as education, information giving, or communication and notes the need for attention to developmental process in education or prevention programs. Qualitatively different psychological processes related to cognitive development result in distinctively diverse ways of thinking about a disease. For instance, both adults and children may rely on concrete or magical thinking rather than abstract reasoning in their conception of any illness, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Thus, information must be tailored to systematic differences in cognitive maturity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

William James and emotion: is a century of fame worth a century of misunderstanding?

During his lifetime William James's complex ideas about emotion were oversimplified to the point of caricature, and for the next half century scientific research on emotion was driven by the oversimplified version--by the idea that emotions are merely the sensation of bodily changes. In fact, the interpretation of the stimulus was an essential feature of James's ideas, but one that seemed so obvious that it did not require explanation. Three damaging scientific consequences of the mischaracterization of James's views were (a) the nearly exclusive focus on bodily process, (b) the reification of emotions as entities rather than processes, and (c) the linear thinking produced by the concern with the sequence of affect, interpretation, and bodily response.     

The role of parents in the socialization of children: An historical overview.

The history of research on childhood socialization in the context of the family is traced through the present century. The 2 major early theories (behaviorism and psychoanalytic theory) are described. These theories declined in mid-century, under the impact of failures to find empirical support. Simple reinforcement theory was seriously weakened by work on developmental psycholinguistics, attachment, modeling, and altruism. The field turned to more domain-specific mini-theories. The advent of microanalytic analyses of parent–child interaction focused attention on bidirectional processes. Views about the nature of identification and its role in socialization underwent profound change. The role of "parent as teacher" was reconceptualized (with strong influence from Vygotskian thinking). There has been increasing emphasis on the role of emotions and mutual cognitions in establishing the meaning of parent–child exchanges. The enormous asymmetry in power and competence between adults and children implies that the parent–child relationship must have a unique role in childhood socialization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cause and effect theories of attention: The role of conceptual metaphors.

Scientific concepts are defined by metaphors. These metaphors determine what attention is and what count as adequate explanations of the phenomenon. The authors analyze these metaphors within 3 types of attention theories: (a) "cause" theories, in which attention is presumed to modulate information processing (e.g., attention as a spotlight; attention as a limited resource); (b) "effect" theories, in which attention is considered to be a by-product of information processing (e.g., the competition metaphor); and (c) hybrid theories that combine cause and effect aspects (e.g., biased-competition models). The present analysis reveals the crucial role of metaphors in cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and the efforts of scientists to find a resolution to the classic problem of cause versus effect interpretations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Effects of media on picturing by children and adults": Correction to Seidman and Beilin.

Reports an error in "Effects of media on picturing by children and adults" by Susan Seidman and Harry Beilin (Developmental Psychology, 1984[Jul], Vol 20[4], 667-672). The reference to Copple, Cocking, and Waxman on pages 667 and 672 is incorrectly cited as 1968. The correct date is 1980. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1984-25563-001.) Examined the hypothesis that adults and children have media-specific conceptions of picturing and that the functional uses of photography and drawing differ across development. 30 preschoolers (aged 4.0-5.6 yrs), 30 schoolchildren (aged 6.6-10.0 yrs), and 30 adults (aged 17-63 yrs) responded to either a photographic or drawing task. In each task, Ss were asked to talk aloud about what they were doing or thinking as they produced their pictures. The results show a progression with age from viewing photography as only reflecting the real object (preschoolers), to viewing it as a medium that allows for control and alteration of reality (school age children and adults). For drawing, all age groups displayed knowledge of the ability to control aspects of their productions. Symbolic performance is thus as closely linked to the S's experience in the use of a medium as to the age of the S. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metaphor in Personality Theory.

Because the more advanced sciences, in their present state of development, are largely concerned with highly formalized and precise statements of relationship among phenomena, many psychologists take it as their immediate task to develop such formalized statements in psychology. In order to pursue such a course, they prefer to bypass those more primitive stages of thinking through which other sciences have progressed. One such mode of primitive thinking is metaphorical. Metaphor frequently permits, even induces, a new conception to unfold. Such a germinal metaphor, especially when unrecognized by the thinker, may be obscure or confused; but this very lack of clarity may give rise to tensions within the thinker which act to resolve the ambiguities in the metaphor. The instability of a metaphor can thus serve to broaden the thinker's horizon beyond the limits of what is given here and now and to sharpen his appreciation of the possibilities for further theoretical development. The history of psychology has been enriched by metaphor. For example, metaphors were a fruitful influence in generating the personality theories of McDougall and of Freud. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Of the way we were: Adult memories about attachment experiences and their role in determining infant-parent relationships: A commentary on van IJzendoorn (1995).

In his meta-analysis of studies demonstrating the predictive validity of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), van IJzendoorn (see record 1995-27580-001) relies on current thinking in attachment theory. Although the data he presents are forceful, there are alternate explanations for the relations he finds that are ignored. Narrative about personal memories may be a function of personal theories about developmental processes as well as current psychological state (e.g., personal self-esteem). There is currently no evidence that the coherency of discourse about early childhood experiences is a function of either actual early experience or reworkings of that experience. In the absence of such evidence, the data indicating that maternal personality influences infant behavior are not theoretically surprising. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vicissitudes of the impetus for growth and change among emerging adults.

The aim of this study was to understand why some emerging adults pursue their goals in effective ways while others become involved in projects or set goals that collapse after a period of time. In order to examine the inner processes which may explain this phenomenon, in-depth interviews were conducted with 70 emerging adults aged 21 to 26. The interviews revealed two main modes in the pursuit of goals among emerging adults. In the "doing-oriented" mode, individuals were extensively invested in a constant pursuit for its own sake, hardly thinking about what they do, and why. In contrast, in the "reflective-oriented" mode, emerging adults were highly reflective about their behaviors, motivations, and future projected plans. Integrating developmental and psychoanalytic thinking, our data propose new understandings of the inner processes through which emerging adults may experience and direct their lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metaphor: A review of the psychological literature.

Maintains that metaphor supplies a language with flexibility, expressibility, and a method by which to expand; it also contributes to the functioning of cognition, language, memory, and creativity. Learning and mediational theories account for metaphor creation on a sensory basis (a) as an example of mediation by physical similarity between stimuli or (b) by response similarity between different empirical modes. Nativistic theories posit internally based processes such as physiognomic perception or intersensory characteristics of individual sense modalities. A nonconscious basis of metaphor is postulated by psychodynamic theories. In addition to inexperience with the weaker normal aspect of word meaning, syncretism and physiognomic perception might partially account for younger children's relative concreteness in comprehension. However, recent studies suggest that comprehension and production of rudimentary forms of metaphor appear in early childhood. Given the scarcity of systematic investigation, it is not clear whether metaphor is a special form of response or whether it can be subsumed under a general psychological theory, such as learning, cognitive development, or psychoanalysis. (89 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kamala of Midnapore and Arnold Gesell's Wolf Child and Human Child: Reconciling the extraordinary and the normal.

This article examines the reception of the story of Kamala, the "wolf girl" of Midnatore, in the Anglo-American scientific community. Two aspects of the case are analyzed in detail: the controversy regarding the authenticity of the reports and the meaning of the evidence, and Arnold Gesell's (1941) "psychological biography" of Kamala, Wolf Child and Human Child. Although most scientists interested in wild children approach them with the expectation that these children might furnish the key to human nature and development, Gesell turned to Kamala for confirmation of a knowledge he already had. Gesell's "obsession" with Kamala is connected to his conception of development: He advanced an alternative interpretation in maturational terms to counter the prevalent environmentalist interpretation of the wolf girl, and he integrated her radical difference into his theory to prove its claim to be a truly universal account of childhood and growth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maxims or myths of beauty? A meta-analytic and theoretical review.

Common maxims about beauty suggest that attractiveness is not important in life. In contrast, both fitness-related evolutionary theory and socialization theory suggest that attractiveness influences development and interaction. In 11 meta-analyses, the authors evaluate these contradictory claims, demonstrating that (a) raters agree about who is and is not attractive, both within and across cultures; (b) attractive children and adults are judged more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; (c) attractive children and adults are treated more positively than unattractive children and adults, even by those who know them; and (d) attractive children and adults exhibit more positive behaviors and traits than unattractive children and adults. Results are used to evaluate social and fitness-related evolutionary theories and the veracity of maxims about beauty. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A realist perspective.

Discusses whether changes in theoretical positions in psychology represent genuine progress or merely current opinion and proposes that psychology's problems are epistemological rather than ethical. A realist position is espoused that is not in line with the dominant view in psychology of the relation between theorizing and data and of the proper way to settle scientific disputes. An instrumentalist position like that of constructionism is suggested to lead to lower levels of evidential sensitivity. Some unsound doctrines that are implicitly or explicitly adopted are explored. First, because certain truth is unattainable, truth should be abandoned as the primary criterion of theories. Secondly, there is no difference between theories and models. The third doctrine is that of dualism, which has recently emerged in arguments about the logic of treatment evaluation in psychology. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Your Highness: Vertical Positions as Perceptual Symbols of Power.

Metaphorically, power equals up. Drawing on embodied theories of cognition, the author argues that thinking about power involves mental simulation of space and can be interfered with by perception of vertical differences. Study 1 assessed image schemas for power and found a shared vertical difference metaphor. Studies 2, 3, and 4 showed that the judgment of a group's power is influenced by the group's vertical position in space and motor responses implying vertical movement. Study 5 ruled out that the influence of vertical position on power judgments is driven by valence differences. Study 6 showed that vertical position also influences the power judgment result itself. The evidence suggests that the concept of power is partly represented in perceptual form as vertical difference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intraindividual coupling of daily stress and cognition.

Most psychological theories predict associations among processes that transpire within individuals. However, these theories are often tested by examining relationships at the between-persons (BP) rather than the within-persons (WP) level. The authors examined the WP and BP relationships between daily stress and daily variability in cognitive performance. Daily stress and cognitive performance were assessed on 6 occasions in 108 older adults and 68 young adults. WP variability in stress predicted WP variability in response times (RTs) on a 2-back working memory task in both younger and older adults. That is, RTs were slower on high-stress days compared with low-stress days. There was evidence of an amplified WP stress effect in the older adults on a serial attention task. There was no evidence of stress effects on simple versions of these tasks that placed minimal demands on working memory. These results are consistent with theories that postulate that stress-related cognitive interference competes for attentional resources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Experienced emotion and affect recognition in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 16(3) of Neuropsychology (see record 2007-17085-001). On Page 102, in the byline and in the author note, and on page 109 in the Rapport et al. (2001) reference, Sara Friedman's middle initial incorrectly reads "L." Her correct middle initial is "R."] Emotional competence and deficits that may disrupt interpersonal interactions were evaluated in 28 adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 28 demographically equivalent controls. Participants completed tasks assessing affect recognition and experienced emotional intensity. Adults with ADHD performed worse in affect recognition than did adults without the disorder; however, the impairment was unrelated to gross perceptual processes, fundamental abilities in facial recognition, or attentional aspects of affect perception. Moreover, intensity of experienced emotion moderated affect recognition: Among controls, experienced emotion facilitated affect recognition. Among adults with ADHD, who reported significantly greater intensity, experienced emotion was inversely related to affect recognition. Results are consistent with theories of ADHD as a deficit in behavioral inhibition; yet, results may merely reflect a constellation of deficits associated with the disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Experienced emotion and affect recognition in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder": Correction to Rapport et al. (2002).

Reports an error in "Experienced emotion and affect recognition in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder" by Lisa J. Rapport, Sara L. Friedman, Angela Tzelepis and Amy Van Voorhis (Neuropsychology, 2002[Jan], Vol 16[1], 102-110). On Page 102, in the byline and in the author note, and on page 109 in the Rapport et al. (2001) reference, Sara Friedman's middle initial incorrectly reads "L." Her correct middle initial is "R." (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2002-00339-011.) Emotional competence and deficits that may disrupt interpersonal interactions were evaluated in 28 adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 28 demographically equivalent controls. Participants completed tasks assessing affect recognition and experienced emotional intensity. Adults with ADHD performed worse in affect recognition than did adults without the disorder; however, the impairment was unrelated to gross perceptual processes, fundamental abilities in facial recognition, or attentional aspects of affect perception. Moreover, intensity of experienced emotion moderated affect recognition: Among controls, experienced emotion facilitated affect recognition. Among adults with ADHD, who reported significantly greater intensity, experienced emotion was inversely related to affect recognition. Results are consistent with theories of ADHD as a deficit in behavioral inhibition; yet, results may merely reflect a constellation of deficits associated with the disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)