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Development of Metaphorical Thought before Language: the Pragmatic Construction of Metaphors in Action

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Abstract

In this article, we set out, first, a general overview of metaphor and metaphorical thought research within cognitive psychology and developmental psychology. We claim that, although research efforts broadened perspectives that considered metaphors to be ornaments of poetic language, certain predominance of a linguistic point of view within investigations led to relatively little attention paid to (i) non-verbal and non-written metaphorical instantiations, and (ii) the pre-linguistic and cultural origins of metaphorical thought. Next, we attempt to delve into, and model, the ontogenetic origins of metaphor, taking into consideration social and cultural elements. To that end, we consider the Vygotskian perspective and contemporary research from the pragmatics of the object. We propose that metaphorical thought is an emerging result of a complex web of dynamic relationships between pre-linguistic and socioculturally regulated semiotic systems. The analysis undertaken shows the need for a research programme with a developmental orientation that considers metaphor to be a product of the intertwining between the individual and social dimensions of cognitive development. We suggest this programme should find its roots in the analysis of the semiotic skills that precede the acquisition of metaphorical language.

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Notes

  1. The career of metaphor hypothesis differentiates between novel and conventional metaphors. On the one hand, novel metaphors are interpreted as comparisons that invite sense creation and “involve base terms that refer to a domain-specific concept but are not (yet) associated with a domain-general category” (Bowdle and Gentner 2005, p. 119). Because their mode of processing involves comparison, novel metaphors can be modelled as extended structural mappings. On the other hand, conventional metaphors may be interpreted as comparisons or as categorisations, because they “involve base terms that refer both to a literal concept and to an associated metaphoric category” (Bowdle and Gentner 2005, p. 119). During conventional metaphor comprehension we retrieve senses or meanings previously stored as abstract metaphoric categories. These conventional meanings depend on repeated comparisons of different target terms with the same base (Zharikov and Gentner 2002). Given that conventional metaphors involve categorisation, they cannot be modelled as extended structural mappings.

  2. In our arguments, we have decided to avoid making reference to the Vygotskian division between “higher” and “lower” psychological functions based on the well-known distinction put forth by the author between two, independent, genetic roots of thought and language. We have opted, instead, to use the concept “complex psychological functions.” This decision is based on the fact that, for Vigotsky, in contrast to higher (superior) psychological functions, which are eminently cultural and are linked to the emergence of language, lower (inferior) psychological functions are “natural” forms of thought and biologically determined, which constitutes a definition that is not in line with recent advances within Early Development. As Rodriguez and Moro pointed out (1999), accepting the distinction between “higher” and “lower” psychological functions entails risking losing sight of the importance of other semiotic systems, different to language, and that partake in intersubjective communication and which are, also, culturally rooted.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to especially thank Dra. Cintia Rodriguez Garrido (Facultad de Psicología-DETEDUCA / Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain) for her insights, encouragement, support, and accurate suggestions that improved the quality of this paper, as well as her useful comments and corrections on previous drafts.

Comments made by Dr. Omar Carlo Gioacchino Gelo and an anonymous reviewer were very useful.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Filosóficas (SADAF), CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Bulnes 642, C1176ABL, C.A.B.A., Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Nicolás Alessandroni

  2. Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Nicolás Alessandroni

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  1. Nicolás Alessandroni
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Correspondence to Nicolás Alessandroni.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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This research is an advance of the Master’s Thesis in Cognitive Psychology and Learning (FLACSO-Argentina / Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) by Nicolás Alessandroni, under the direction of Dra. Cintia Rodríguez Garrido.

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Alessandroni, N. Development of Metaphorical Thought before Language: the Pragmatic Construction of Metaphors in Action. Integr. psych. behav. 51, 618–642 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12124-016-9373-3

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