The Spatial Metaphorical Effect Of The Concept Of Tolerance And Its Mapping

In Chinese culture,there is a linguistic phenomenon that uses the concept of space as a metaphor for the concept of tolerance.In everyday expressions,words such as "broad-minded" and "narrow-minded" are often used to describe an individual’s tolerance.However,whether this linguistic phenomenon has psychological reality,and whether there is a metaphorical connection between the concept of space and the concept of tolerance at the level of individual thinking still needs to be further verified.If there is a metaphorical connection,then how the mapping relationship between the two and the impact on individual cognition and behavior is manifested needs to be further empirically explored.In current theoretical and empirical research,there is no consensus on whether metaphorical mapping is one-way or two-way.Conceptual metaphor theory holds that metaphorical mapping is unidirectional,while from the perspective of embodied cognitive theory,metaphorical mapping is bidirectional.Therefore,this study examines the spatial metaphorical effect of the concept of tolerance and its mapping relationship through four experiments,and explores whether there is a metaphorical connection between the concept of wide and narrow space and the concept of tolerance,and whether the metaphorical mapping relationship between the two is one-way or two-way mapping,that is,whether the perception of wide and narrow space affects the individual’s tolerance cognition,and whether the processing abstract concept of tolerance also affects the individual’s wide and narrow space perception.Experiment 1 refers to the graphical interference paradigm of the Stroop paradigm to investigate whether there is a metaphorical connection between the broad and narrow space and the concept of tolerance.41 college students were selected to conduct 2(vocabulary type: tolerant word,intolerant word)× 2(background type: wide space background,narrow space background)in the subjects.The independent variables are the vocabulary type and background type,and the dependent variable is the response of the vocabulary judgment,and the participants are required to classify the word meaning of words on different wide and narrow spatial backgrounds.The results showed that there was a metaphorical connection between the concept of tolerance and wide and narrow space,and the participants’ responses to tolerant words were shorter when judging on a wide space background,and shorter when judging the reaction of an intolerant word on a narrow space background.Experiment 2 investigates the influence of wide and narrow spatial perception on the processing of tolerance concept with reference to the starting paradigm.A total of 42 college students were selected to conduct experiments of 2(space type: wide space,narrow space)× 2(vocabulary type: tolerant words,intolerant words).When the independent variables were spatial type and vocabulary type,and the dependent variable was the response of vocabulary classification judgment,the participants were required to make word meaning classification judgment on words after the wide and narrow space was activated.The results showed that wide and narrow spatial perception did not facilitate the subjects’ processing of the corresponding tolerance concept,and experiment 2 did not find the effect of wide and narrow space perception on tolerance cognition.On this basis,experiment 3 investigates whether wide and narrow spatial perception affects individuals’ tolerant cognition and judgment of neutral stimuli with reference to the conscious forced selection paradigm,and further explores whether the influence of wide and narrow spatial perception on tolerant cognition exists.A total of41 college students were selected to conduct 2(space type: wide space,narrow space)×2(neutral stimulus judgment: tolerance,intolerance)in the subjects.The dependent variable was the proportion of tolerance and intolerance of neutral stimuli judged by the participants.Participants were asked to make a forced selection judgment of tolerance or intolerance on neutral emotional faces presented.The results showed that wide and narrow spatial perception affected individuals’ tolerant cognition and judgment.Under wide spatial perception conditions,participants tend to judge neutral stimuli as tolerant,and under narrow space perception conditions,participants tend to judge neutral stimuli as intolerant.Experiment 4 also refers to the starting paradigm,and in turn examines the influence of abstract tolerance concept processing on the perception of wide and narrow space.A total of 46 college students were selected to conduct experiments in 2(vocabulary type: tolerant word,intolerant word)× 2(space type: wide space,narrow space).When the independent variables are lexical type and spatial type,and the dependent variable is the response of wide and narrow space classification judgment,the participants are required to make attribute classification judgment on wide and narrow space after the concept of tolerance is activated.The results show that the processing of tolerance concept affects the spatial perception of individuals.After the tolerant vocabulary is activated,the participant’s response in a wide space is shorter,and after the intolerant vocabulary is activated,the participant’s response in the narrow space is shorter.Combining the 4 experiments,the following conclusions can be drawn:First,there is a metaphorical connection between wide and narrow space and the concept of tolerance,tolerance is linked to wide space,and intolerance is linked to narrow space.Second,the mapping of the spatial metaphor of the concept of tolerance has bidirectionality,and the perception of wide and narrow space will affect the individual’s tolerant cognition and judgment of neutral stimuli,and in turn,the individual’s tolerant cognition will also affect the perception of wide and narrow space,supporting the hypothesis of bidirectionality of metaphorical mapping.