New research clarifies how brain perceives metaphorsApril 5, 2019 - 12:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Some functional MRI, or fMRI, brain imaging studies have indicated, for example, that when you hear a metaphor such as “she had a rough day,” regions of the brain associated with tactile experience activate. If you hear, “he’s so sweet,” areas associated with taste activate. And when you hear action verbs used in a metaphorical context, like “grasp a concept,” regions involved in motor perception and planning activate. The new study in the journal Brain Research builds on this research by looking at when, exactly, different regions of the brain activate in metaphor comprehension and what that reveals about the way we understand language, Futurity reports. Researchers have found that on average, people use a metaphor every 20 words, says Vicky Lai, an assistant professor of psychology and cognitive science at the University of Arizona. As director of the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language Laboratory in the psychology department, Lai is interested in how the brain processes metaphors and other types of language. Her latest study used EEG, or brainwave studies, to record electrical patterns in the brain when participants encountered metaphors containing action content, like “grasp the idea” or “bend the rules.” Study participants saw three different sentences on a computer screen—one word at a time. One sentence described a concrete action, such as, “The bodyguard bent the rod.” Another was a metaphor using the same verb: “The church bent the rules.” In the third sentence, the verb was replaced with a more abstract word that conveyed the same meaning as the metaphor: “The church altered the rules.” When participants saw the word “bent” used in both the literal and metaphorical context, it evoked a similar response in the brain, with the sensory-motor region being activated almost immediately—within 200 milliseconds—of the verb appearing on the screen. That response differed when “altered” replaced “bent.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. |