Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Relevance And Simulation In Metaphor, L. David Ritchie
Relevance And Simulation In Metaphor, L. David Ritchie
Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations
Recent writings have done much to develop and extend Relevance Theory as an account of metaphors and other "loose" language use. However, it is argued in this essay that Relevance Theory still leaves important gaps in its explanation and does not adequately address the "circularity" issue that has been raised. It is proposed that Perceptual Simulation Theory usefully extends Relevance Theory by providing a detailed cognitive mechanism for the "broadening" and "narrowing" specified by Relevance Theory. Extending Relevance Theory to include the cognitive mechanisms posited by Perceptual Simulation Theory also extends the reach of Relevance theory and enhances its ability …
"The Ivory Tower" On An "Unstable Foundation": Playful Language, Humor, And Metaphor In The Negotiation Of Scientists' Identities, L. David Ritchie, Char Schell
"The Ivory Tower" On An "Unstable Foundation": Playful Language, Humor, And Metaphor In The Negotiation Of Scientists' Identities, L. David Ritchie, Char Schell
Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations
In this essay we argue that metaphor and language play generally should be analyzed in the context of actual conversations, not as a peripheral or incidental part of the discourse, but as an integral part of both topic-centered and relational work. We examine several instances of playful metaphor, humor, and irony that occurred during a one-hour focus-group discussion among a group of scientists discussing their role in communicating about science with laypersons. During the course of this discussion, word play, humorous insults, and the elaboration and reconstruction of metaphorical idioms are used for a variety of purposes, including reinforcement of …