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Developmental changes in children's comprehension and explanation of spatial metaphors for time*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 November 2012

LAUREN J. STITES  and
ŞEYDA ÖZÇALIŞKAN
LAUREN J. STITES
Affiliation:
Georgia State University
ŞEYDA ÖZÇALIŞKAN
Affiliation:
Georgia State University
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Abstract

Time is frequently expressed with spatial motion, using one of three different metaphor types: moving-time, moving-ego, and sequence-as-position. Previous work shows that children can understand and explain moving-time metaphors by age five (Özçalışkan, 2005). In this study, we focus on all three metaphor types for time, and ask whether metaphor type has an effect on children's metaphor comprehension and explanation abilities. Analysis of the responses of three- to six-year-old children and adults showed that comprehension and explanation of all three metaphor types emerge at an early age. Moreover, children's metaphor comprehension and explanation vary by metaphor type: children perform better in understanding and explaining metaphors that structure time in relation to the observer of time (moving-ego, moving-time) than metaphors that structure time without any relation to the observer of time (sequence-as-position-on-a-path). Our findings suggest that children's bodily experiences might play a role in their developing understanding of the abstract concept of time.

Information

Type
Brief Research Reports
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , November 2013 , pp. 1123 - 1137
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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