SCIENCE AND RELIGION AS LANGUAGES: UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE–RELIGION RELATIONSHIP USING METAPHORS,ANALOGIES, AND MODELS

Many scholars often use the terms “metaphors,” “analogies,” and “models” interchangeably and inadvertently overlook the uniqueness of each word. According to recent cognitive studies, the three terms involve distinct cognitive processes using features from a familiar concept and applying them to an abstract, complicated concept. In the field of science and religion, there have been various objects or ideas used as metaphors, analogies, or models to describe the science–religion relationship. Although these heuristic tools provided some understanding of the complex interaction, they failed to address the broad nature of science and religion as well as the multifarious relationship between the two in a sociocultural context. Unlike the previous candidates, the concept of language, including the notions of linguistic worldview, linguistic identity, dialects, power, and bilingualism, offers a unique and comprehensive window through which science, religion, and the relationship between the two are seen with clarity.     

Hello darkness my old friend: preferences for darkness vary by neuroticism and co-occur with negative affect*

Metaphors frequently link negative affect with darkness and associations of this type have been established in several experimental paradigms. Given the ubiquity and strength of these associations, people who prefer dark to light may be more prone to negative emotional experiences and symptoms. A five study investigation (total N?=?605) couches these ideas in a new theoretical framework and then examines them. Across studies, 1 in 4 people preferred the perceptual concept of dark over the perceptual concept of light. These dark-preferring people scored higher in neuroticism (Studies 1 and 2) and experienced greater depressive feelings in daily life (Study 3). Moreover, dark preferences shared a robust relationship with depressive symptoms (Study 4) as well as generalised anxiety symptoms (Study 5). The results provide novel insights into negative affectivity and extend conceptual metaphor theory in a way that is capable of making individual difference predictions.     

具身认知视角下软硬触觉经验对性别角色认知的影响

文章从具身隐喻的角度, 探讨了软硬触觉经验与男女性别角色认知的交互影响。实验1采用行为实验法, 考察了软硬的触觉经验对性别分类的影响; 实验2采用内隐联想范式, 探讨了男女性别角色词的加工能否激活软硬的隐喻表征; 实验3通过概念启动和知觉判断任务, 考察了性别角色词的概念加工对物体软硬知觉的影响。得出以下结论：(1)社会性别分类表征和社会性别角色表征可通过软硬进行隐喻表征; (2)性别角色词概念的加工会影响物体软硬知觉的判断, 认知判断存在具身效应。     

心理治疗中的同化模型

同化模型是一个有关心理治疗改变过程的理论构想。它融合了多家理论观点, 形成一个用于解释心理治疗一般改变过程的整合性框架。依据此模型, 针对治疗改变过程提出八个可以预期的发展阶段。一系列有关同化模型的研究已经对模型及其发展序列进行了验证, 并提供了实证性的支持。同时发现不同疗法的同化过程模式存在差异; 不同疗法对处于不同同化阶段的当事人具有不同的效果。在研究主题的细化方面, 已有研究开展了同化阶段的标识研究、同化阶段的子阶段研究; 并拓展向不同障碍类型、不同治疗方法的当事人, 以及新的研究领域(如药物治疗, 移民丧失)。在未来的研究中, 可以进行跨文化的研究来对此模型进行验证, 也可以对模型有关治疗改变线性过程的潜在假设进行验证, 或针对声音方面展开深入研究。     

道德具身认知的理论研究*

具身认知作为一种新兴思潮,强调身体经验及身体与环境的相互作用对于个体抽象概念及认知的作用。从具身认知的角度出发,考察身体和道德认知加工的关系已成为现今道德心理学和神经科学的研究热点。本文结合以往道德具身认知研究,介绍了概念隐喻理论、知觉符号理论、模拟感觉运动隐喻理论和进化理论四种道德具身认知理论,讨论并分析了现有理论研究中存在的矛盾与问题。未来的研究可在多文化背景下进行,并依靠认知神经科学技术对道德的具身认知机制进行更深入的探究。     

时间隐喻在汉语时间量词语义加工中的作用

通过三个实验, 考察了时间隐喻在汉语时间量词语义加工中的作用。实验1表明, 当时间量词的水平方向隐喻(“长–短”)与字词的空间长度特征(“长–短”或“宽–窄”)不一致时, 语义加工受到了干扰; 实验2表明, 虽然“高–矮”亦为字词的空间特征, 但对时间量词的语义加工没有显著的影响, 证明时间的空间隐喻受讲话者的语言使用习惯影响; 实验3表明, 通过使用不同长度的背景降低了字形变化对于语义加工的影响之后, 与字形一致、隐喻不一致的条件比, 字形和隐喻皆不一致的条件引起了更大的干扰。整个研究表明, 汉语讲话者的时间隐喻只受空间的水平方向特征(“长–短”或“宽–窄”)影响, 不受空间的竖直方向特征(“高–矮”)影响。时间概念以空间长度特征为中介, 在长时记忆中与知觉符号同时储存。     

The swaying form: imagination,metaphor, embodiment

Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences - How is it that metaphors are meaningful, yet we have so much trouble saying exactly what they mean? I argue that metaphoric thought is an act of...     

Epistemological Metaphors and the Nature of Philosophy

Abstract: This article examines some of the most important metaphors and analogies that epistemologists have used to discuss the structure and validity of knowledge. After reviewing foundational, coherentist, and other metaphors for knowledge, we discuss the metaphilosophical significance of the prevalence of such metaphors. We argue that they support a view of philosophy as akin to science rather than poetry or rhetoric.     

Reframing the Fields

The conception of metaphoric process elaborated by Mary Gerhart and Allan Russell illuminates a key mechanism often involved in the most significant advances in science and religion. Attention to this conceptual device provides a productive way to reframe the relationships and dialogues between the fields. The theory has compelling implications for reframing the understanding of theology and its task.     

Conceptualizing Transition: The Role of Metaphor in Describing the Experience of Change at Midlife

Five new or returning midlife university students were asked to provide metaphors describing their experience of midlife change, change indicated by their attending university at this point in their lives. Five resulting portraits (S. Lawrence-Lightfoot & J. H. Davis, 1997) were created, based on participant-invoked metaphors: personal rebellion against colonization, stage productions, collection and accumulation, journey home, and alchemy and metamorphosis. The portraits indicate that even from within widely divergent metaphoric conceptualizations, the respondents all find midlife to be an active, positive, and hopeful period of life. For them midlife is decidedly neither crisis nor dull plateau. Further, given the richness of the metaphor use, the study demonstrates the desirability of listening carefully to and moreover expressly soliciting metaphoric usage, in order to more fully understand people's inner realities. Finally, the portraits reveal that the participants' metaphoric conceptions are deeply imbedded in their lives, past and current, and as such identify life themes.