An Experimental Study of Metaphor: Emission of Metaphorical Extension as a Probable Effect of Punishment for the Tact

Abstract

Based on the concept of metaphorical extension that was presented in a refined interpretation of the verbal behavior by Skinner (1957/1978), this article aims to develop an experimental model to study the metaphorical extension of tact. A second objective is to verify whether punishment has some effect on the emission frequency of metaphorical extension. The relevance of this study was due to two main factors: (1) the frequent use of metaphorical extensions in clinical contexts by psychotherapists; and (2) a lack of empirical studies that identify which variables control the frequency of metaphors. In order to approach the phe­nomenon of metaphor experimentally, a matching to sample procedure was developed in which the topography of responses and the control of stimuli were performed as follows: In the training phase 1, the participant learns to respond to stimuli from four different classes (samples), selecting a meaningless word (comparison stimulus). The selection, in this case, acquires a tact function. In training phase 2, one of the tacts was punished and it is verified if tacts for the other categories were emitted based on adventitious properties of the stimuli. In this way, it insures what would be the characteristic that defines the metaphorical extension. In other words, the control by an adventitious property. In the test phase there was no pro­grammed consequence for all the responses. The results showed that the experimental model was very effective to study variables involved in the emission of metaphorical extension and that there was some increase in the emission of metaphoric extension in the phase that had a punishment of the tact.