Cycle: XXXIX

PhD student: Lucienne Huby

Role: R1 - First Stage Researcher

Supervisor: Prof. Francesca Ervas

My research project explores the role of memory, specifically semantic memory and working memory, in the production of metaphors in people with schizophrenia. The study aims to analyze how concepts and their meanings are connected in memory and how such connections influence the use of metaphorical language in individuals affected by this condition. Through an interdisciplinary approach, experimental investigations will be conducted on both clinical and control groups, followed by a computational analysis based on network models of semantic memory. The project seeks to provide a theoretical model that contributes to the understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying metaphorical language in schizophrenia, with potential implications for the philosophical debate on the mind-brain relationship and epistemic injustice. To achieve this goal, during the research, I collaborate with the PRIN PNRR project “Metaphor and Epistemic Injustice in Mental Illness: The Case of Schizophrenia” (CUP F53D23011250001), which involves the universities of Cagliari, Messina, and Chieti.