ABSTRACT

Figurative elements in language have their own particularities, including words that deviate from their generally accepted definition to amplify our language or to paraphrase an issue. It is still unclear how individuals process idioms that are figurative or ambiguous, especially when they additionally become distracted by modified idioms that are similar in appearance. In our study, 47 healthy adults (mean age of 27.3 years, SD = 2.9) participated in a decision time experiment to determine how participants recognize well-formed, genuine German idioms alongside certain idiom modifications. All participants were initially exposed to a prime on a screen. Then, they had to detect the target idiom, which was presented alongside a systematically modified phonematic or semantic idiom. Using generalized linear mixed model regression analysis, we found that decisions related to a semantically modified idiom were made faster than decisions related to a phonematically modified idiom. The accuracy of correctly identifying an idiom was high (> 95%), regardless of the type of prime. Our findings indicate that complex idiomatic structures are more easily recognized when individuals are exposed to semantically modified idioms. Semantic information can be mapped onto the concept of the genuine idiom more quickly, which requires fewer mental resources.

摘要

语言中的比喻元素有其自身的特殊性，包括偏离其普遍接受的定义以放大我们的语言或解释一个问题的词。目前尚不清楚个人如何处理比喻性或含糊不清的习语，特别是当他们另外被外观相似的修饰习语分心时。在我们的研究中，47 名健康成年人（平均年龄 27.3 岁，SD = 2.9）参与了一项决策时间实验，以确定参与者如何识别格式正确、真正的德语习语以及某些习语修改。所有参与者最初都在屏幕上接触素数。然后，他们必须检测目标习语，该习语与系统修改的音素或语义习语一起呈现。使用广义线性混合模型回归分析，我们发现与语义修改的习语相关的决策比与音素修改的习语相关的决策更快。无论素数的类​​型如何，正确识别习语的准确度都很高（> 95%）。我们的研究结果表明，当个人接触到语义修改的习语时，更容易识别复杂的习语结构。语义信息可以更快地映射到真正习语的概念上，这需要更少的心理资源。我们的研究结果表明，当个人接触到经过语义修改的习语时，更容易识别复杂的习语结构。语义信息可以更快地映射到真正习语的概念上，这需要更少的心理资源。我们的研究结果表明，当个人接触到语义修改的习语时，更容易识别复杂的习语结构。语义信息可以更快地映射到真正习语的概念上，这需要更少的心理资源。