DMT applies a tailored version of the Construction-Integration model for utterance processing in discourse comprehension (Van Dijk & Kintsch, 1983) to all metaphor use. Like all utterances, every utterance with a metaphorical expression can be described as having specific structures and functions for the mental representation of that utterance in comprehension in terms of language, thought, reference, and communication.

• ‘metaphor in language’: linguistic structures and functions contribute to building a surface text, and include metaphor-related polysemy, salience, and signalling
• ‘metaphor in thought’: conceptual structures and functions contribute to building a textbase, and include metaphor conventionality and aptness
• ‘metaphor in reference’: referential structures and functions feed into a situation model, and include metaphor directness and concreteness/abstractness
• ‘metaphor in communication’: communicative structures and functions feed into a context model, and include metaphor deliberateness and appropriateness

Words are turned into concepts which are turned into referents which are turned into intended topics and comments, perspectives, and speech acts.

This model is new in metaphor studies. It aims to redress the situation where not  enough attention has been paid to reference and communication as defined here (Slowing Metaphor Down: Elaborating Deliberate Metaphor Theory | Gerard J. Steen; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10926488.2024.2359406).