Metaphor in individual cognition includes four key issues for DMT.
- Processes and products of metaphor comprehension
According to the Construction-Integration model, people build four distinct but related mental models for the mental representation of an utterance, and this naturally includes metaphor-related utterances but has not been discussed in this way.
It is likely that most metaphors are not comprehended metaphorically, and this can be researched by comparing predicted and actual processes and products of metaphor comprehension.
Most metaphor works very fast, suggesting that it is not a voluntary and conscious process (System 1 in Kahneman). However, metaphor can also be slowed down, in production, comprehension, and interaction; then its processing is taken over by Kahneman’s System 2 and becomes qualitatively different. DMT predicts that this includes increased metaphor recognition, interpretation, and appreciation (‘metaphor awareness’). This is one new agenda point of DMT.
- Metaphor and consciousness
Since most metaphor, including deliberate metaphor, works very fast it also works unconsciously (see above); however, deliberate metaphor use affords conscious metaphorical cognition. This is a complex and easily misunderstood issue, which has led to a false start of DMT’s development.