Relation of metaphoric processing to comprehension and memory.

Investigated whether metaphors help or hinder prose comprehension using context-dependent metaphoric sentences or literally equivalent paraphrases as concluding statements for short didactic passages. 71 undergraduates read 8 short passages and rated the quality and effectiveness of the writing. Orienting instructions and the rating task established an incidental-learning set for the Ss. Half of the Ss read stories with literally equivalent statements replacing the metaphors. After completing the reading, they were given either an immediate or delayed cued recall test. Analysis of the gist scoring of Ss' recall protocols indicated increased memorability for passages with metaphoric conclusions. Not only were the concluding metaphors themselves recalled better than equivalent literal sentences, but there was also an increase in memory for the preceding context. Both initial processing and retrieval explanations of the results are discussed along with limitations related to the use of metaphors in text. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)