Metaphoric Processing in the Mature Years

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Abstract
This study presents evidence for a qualitative difference between two age groups with respect to their interpretation of linguistic metaphors. In an experiment involving 30 mature adults and 31 high school students, the adults evince a synthesizing, integrative perspective when asked to produce explanations of metaphors, while the high school students’ explanations are more analytic in nature. These differences in production are not related to a simple measure of vocabulary skill. The results of this study are discussed as an extension of the current research on the development of metaphoric comprehension, and in relation to the current research and theory concerning cognitive development throughout adulthood. The study lends support for a conception of adult cognitive development that focuses on the adult’s reliance on integrative, organizing perspectives.

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