Cognitive model of children’s
metaphor
Tamara I. Dotsenko
Perm State Pedagogical University
614000, Perm, Siberskaya,24,
[email protected]
Olga V. Shabalina
Perm Krai In-Servise Theacher Traiming Institute
614017, Perm, Lebedeva,2
[email protected]
1
Introduction
In modern linguistics the metaphor is
understood as:
• Trop (poetics,stylistics, rhetoric)
• Language phenomenon — a source
of new words meanings
• Сognitive phenomenon
2
The research of children’s
metaphor is usually connected
with:
• the problem of its recognition/nonrecognition
• the recognition of it as language
phenomenon
3
The origin of metaphorical children
expressions is caused by
difficulties in speech
communications:
misunderstanding
the adults
search of a nomination
for a new object
Exit out of difficulty
catching similarity between objects
4
Hypothesis of research:
аs a result of catching similarity
between objects in the mind of
the child the primary cognitive
model of metaphor,
or
сognitive model of a children’s
metaphor is formed
5
The aim of researching:
to reveal structure cognitive models of
children's metaphor
Materials of researching:
105 object-verbal and 106 word-verbal
metaphorical pairs
6
The description of experiment:
Examinees: two groups (32 persons each)
of 5-6 year-old children
The stimuli:
• оbjects: мяч (a ball), варежка (mitten),
мыльница (a soap tray), карандаш (a
pencil)
• a correlate-word for these оbjects
The experimental task:
answer the question: “To what is it similar?”.
7
Method of modeling:
• the semantic analysis
• the comparative analysis of objectverbal and word-verbal metaphorical
pairs
• the quantitative analysis (calculation
of relative frequency and the
correlation analysis)
8
Fields-sources (thematic zones)
of children's metaphor
Metaphor - is the transfer of knowledge
from the field of our experience (fieldsource) to another less familiar field - the
target (Lakoff)
In experiment
• field - target – is the material of a stimulus
• field-source – are the answers of the examinees
9
Frequency of semantic zones of the fieldsource of a metaphor
№
Zone of theme
Children
object
word
1
Geometrical figures
0,37
0,27
2
Household objects
0,20
0,23
3
Toys
0,12
0,07
4
Instruments of writing and drawing
0,07
0,04
5
Parts of the man’s body
0,07
0,04
6
Fruits
0,05
0,09
7
Plants and their parts
0,05
0,06
8
Heavenly bodies
0,04
0,06
9
Living beings and parts of their bodies
0,01
0,05
10
Graphic signs
0,01
0,03
11
Clothes
0,01
0,01
12
Foodstuff
0,00
0,03
13
Fantastic characters s
0,00
0,02
From the table follows:
1) all the thematic zones of the object
field-source are included into the
field-source of a word
2) the most often activated are the two
thematic zones
• «geometrical figures»
• «household objects»
11
Semantic attributes in the
structure of a children's
metaphor
Integrated semantic attributes (ISA) - are
common for stimuli and answer- reactions
ISA
• are found for each separate pair
• are compared in correlating object-verbal
and word-verbal pairs
12
0
To inflate M
To play M
To move K
Yellow color K
Size K
object-verbal
Size МЦ
Rectangular B
To put B
Red color M
Presence of a cavity inside B
Wool B
Rotundity B
To warm B
Rectangular MЦ
0,8
To write, draw K
Presence of a cavity inside K
Pointedness K
To move M
To wash, bathe МЦ
Pointedness B
Presence of two parts B
Presence of two parts МЦ
Rotundity МЦ
To close МЦ
Rectangular МЦ
Dimendions B
To contain B
fabric B
Softness B
To contain B
Presence of a cavity inside МЦ
наличие полости внутри В
из дерева К
объемность М
объемность МЦ
продолговатость В
твердость К
узость К
объемность К
округлость М
Integrated semantic attributes in object-verbal and
word-verbal pairs
1
word-verbal
0,6
0,4
0,2
The figure shows:
1) 92% correlating pairs are organized by the ISA in which
sensually perceived attributes of objects are
represented
2) the Spirmen factor has shown a high correlation of ISA
in both the pairs: мяч (a ball) rs=0,875, варежка
(mitten) rs=0,765, мыльница (a soap tray) rs=0,850,
карандаш (a pencil) rs=0,950.
The children's metaphor represents the uniform mechanism
of catching of the similarity between the objects, poorly
differentiated in relation to a object and a word
Ways of the organization of
integrated semantic attributes in
structure of a children's
metaphor
Integrated semantic attributes are organized
1) by the semantic complex (SC):
• not dismembered
• dismembered
2) by one member semantic attribute
15
The ways of the integrated semantic attributes
in a children's metaphor organization
object-verbal pair
Dismembered SC
One member
Not dismembered SC
Dismembered SC
One member
average
word-verbal pair
Not dismembered SC
stimulus
0,83
0,05
0,12
0,86
0,02
0,12
Average shows:
the basic way of the semantic attributes in a children's metaphor
organization is not a dismembered semantic complex
16
Types of integrated semantic attributes in
the structure of a children's metaphor
1
object-verbal pair
0,9
word-verbal pair
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,55 0,54
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,14 0,13
0,13 0,13
0,13
0,15
0,1
0,01 0,01
0,01 0,01
Size
Contiguity
Material
Function
Structure
Form
0
Color
0,03 0,03
The figure shows:
1)
•
•
•
2)
18
On the basis of frequency semantic types the following
characteristics are received:
«form» — is the main structuring attribute (0,55 );
«function», «structure», «material» - are strong
central attributes (0,13)
«contiguity in space», «color», «size» — are weak
peripheral attributes (0,03-0,01)
The Spirmen factor, close to 1 (rs=0,98),
specifies the full correlation of semantic types for
object-verbal and word-verbal metaphorical pair
Conclusions:
1) The children's metaphor is the
mechanism of catching similarity
between the objects, poorly
differentiated in relation to a
subject and a word.
Conclusions:
1) The children's metaphor is the mechanism of
catching similarity between the objects, poorly
differentiated in relation to a subject and a
word.
2) The field-source of a children's
metaphor includes a set of thematic
zones. The basic thematic zones of
the field-source are «household
objects» and «geometrical figures».
Conclusions:
1)
The children's metaphor is the mechanism of catching similarity
between the objects, poorly differentiated in relation to a subject
and a word.
2)
The field-source of a children's metaphor includes a set of
thematic zones. The basic thematic zones of the field-source are
«household objects» and «geometrical figures».
3) Similarity between the objects or their
images is usually caught
by not dismembered complexes of
semantic attributes, in which sensually
perceived attributes of objects are
represented
Conclusions:
1)
2)
3)
The children's metaphor is the mechanism of catching similarity between
the objects, poorly differentiated in relation to a subject and a word.
The field-source of a children's metaphor includes a set of thematic
zones. The basic thematic zones of the field-source are «household
objects » and
«geometrical figures ».
Similarity between the objects or their images is usually caught
by not dismembered complexes of semantic attributes, in which sensually
perceived attributes of objects are represented
4) Not dismembered semantic
complexes include the following
attributes: "form", "structure",
"function", "material", « a contiguity
in space », "color", "size".
Conclusions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
The children's metaphor is the mechanism of catching similarity between the
objects, poorly differentiated in relation to a subject and a word.
The field-source of a children's metaphor includes a set of thematic zones. The
basic thematic zones of the field-source are «household objects » and
«geometrical figures ».
Similarity between the objects or their images is usually caught
by not dismembered complexes of semantic attributes, in which sensually
perceived attributes of objects are represented
Not dismembered semantic complexes include the following attributes: "form",
"structure", "function", "material", « a contiguity in space », "color", "size".
5) Not dismembered semantic complex
represents a probability organized structure. Its
main attribute is "form". The attributes
"structure", "function" and "material"
characterize its center, and « a contiguity in
space », "color" and "size" - periphery.
Conclusions:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
The children's metaphor is the mechanism of catching similarity between the
objects, poorly differentiated in relation to a subject and a word.
The field-source of a children's metaphor includes a set of thematic zones. The
basic thematic zones of the field-source are «household objects » and
«geometrical figures ».
Similarity between the objects or their images is usually caught
by not dismembered complexes of semantic attributes, in which sensually
perceived attributes of objects are represented
Not dismembered semantic complexes include the following attributes: "form",
"structure", "function", "material", « a contiguity in space », "color", "size".
Not dismembered semantic complex represents a probability organized structure.
Its main attribute is "form". The attributes "structure", "function" and "material"
characterize its center, and « a contiguity in space », "color" and "size" - periphery.
6) The success of the child in his speech activity,
the processes of speech perception and
production, are determined by the degree his
cognitive metaphor model formation.
Thanks for attention!
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Cognitive model of children’s
metaphor
Tamara I. Dotsenko
Perm State Pedagogical University
614000, Perm, Siberskaya,24,
[email protected]
Olga V. Shabalina
Perm Krai In-Servise Theacher Traiming Institute
614017, Perm, Lebedeva,2
[email protected]
21