Metaphor in argument production vs. understanding

Ervas, F

;Ojha, A.

2019-01-01

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Abstract

Studies have shown that metaphors influence the understanding of a lexical ambiguity fallacy (Ervaset al. 2015 018). However, a systematic research on the effects of metaphors in argument production is still missing. The paper presents the results of an experiment where participants completed lexical ambiguous arguments, selecting either a metaphor or a literal word as the middle term. It shows that metaphor conventionality and plausibility of argument conclusion influence both argument production and understanding differently.