Common Physical Properties Improve Metaphor Effect Even in the Context of Multiple Examples (original) (raw)

The Role of Common Physical Properties and Augmental Functions in Metaphor Effect

AbstrAct Metaphor is a tool frequently used in psychotherapy such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a contextual behavioral model of psychological intervention rooted in an approach to human language and cognition known as Relational Frame Theory (RFT). This experimental analogue study aimed to analyze the effect of two variables in the metaphor effect on promoting psychological flexibility according to RFT: (a) the presence of common physical properties between the individual's experience and the metaphor, and (b) the specification of appetitive augmental functions in the metaphor content. A 2x2 factorial design was implemented where the presence/absence of the above-mentioned variables was manipulated. Eighty-three participants first responded to measures of experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, and generalized pliance. Subsequently, they were exposed to a cold-pressor task at pretest. Afterwards, participants were randomly assigned to four experimental protocols consisting of a metaphor that included: (a) common physical properties and augmental functions, (b) only common physical properties, (c) only augmental functions, and (d) none of these variables. Then, participants were re-exposed to the cold-pressor task (posttest). The results showed that both variables had a statistically significant effect on the pain tolerance induced by the cold-pressor task.

Empirical Investigation of the Verbal Cues Involved in Delivering Experiential Metaphors

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Delivering metaphors experientially has been emphasized in several psychotherapies, such as acceptance and commitment therapy. However, few research has analyzed the variables involved in the efficacy of metaphors. This experimental analog study aims to advance in this topic by analyzing the effect of two components involved in the experiential delivery of metaphors in psychotherapy. The first component is presenting the metaphor by asking the individual to imagine herself as the protagonist of the story versus presenting the metaphor in the third person (Self vs. Other). The second component is the inclusion of verbal cues prompting the relational elaboration of the rules derived from the metaphor content versus not including these prompts (Elaboration vs. No Elaboration). The effect of these components was tested in a double-blind, randomized, 2 × 2 factorial experiment that used the cold pressor task (CPT). Eighty-four participants were exposed to the CPT at the pretest. Afterwar...

How Effective Is the Use of Metaphor Therapy on Reducing Psychological Symptoms and Pain Discomfort in Patients with Non-Cardiac Chest Pain: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

2016

Introduction: Psychological symptoms of non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) including perceptual, emotional, and behavioral problems can effect patient perception of chest pain. This study was conducted to determine the effect of metaphor therapy on mitigating depression, anxiety, stress, and pain discomfort in patients with NCCP. Materials and Methods: This randomized, controlled, trial was conducted on 28 participants, who had visited the emergency department of Kermanshah Imam Ali Heart Hospital because of experiencing NCCP during the June to September 2014. The patients were randomly assigned to metaphor therapy and control groups (n=14 for each group) during a four-week period. Our data collection questionnaires included Pain Discomfort Scale (PDS) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Chi-square and MANCOVA tests were run, using SPSS version 20. Results: Twenty patients (71.4%) completed the trial period until the final assessment. Our findings showed that metaphor therap...

Therapists' intentional use of metaphor: Memorability, clinical impact, and possible epistemic/motivational functions

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1992

The memorability, clinical impact, and possible epistemic and motivational functions of therapists' intentional use of therapeutic metaphor were examined in 4 dyads of experiential psychotherapy. Clients tended to recall therapists' intentional metaphors approximately two thirds of the time, especially when these metaphors were developed collaboratively and repetitively. Clients rated therapy sessions in which they recalled therapists' intentional use of metaphors as more helpful than sessions in which they recalled therapeutic events other than therapists' intentional metaphors. Four distinctive epistemic and motivational functions of therapeutic metaphor were observed.

The use of metaphors in psychotherapy

Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 1988

Metaphors are used in everyday language and play a role in the therapeutic domain. "This paper: 1) Examines the linguistic structure of metaphors for its therapeutic relevance. 2) Introduces the concept and use of metaphoric kernel statements. 3) Describes strategic and tactical applications of metaphor in guided metaphoric: imagery work, storytelling and metaphoric tasks. 4) Demonstrates the efficacy of metaphor in treatment of cases of traumatic and highly anxiety-provoking issues.

The devil in the corner: A mixed-methods study of metaphor use by those with spinal cord injury-specific neuropathic pain

British journal of health psychology, 2016

Metaphorical expressions of persistent pain play an influential role in the modulation of pain. This may be particularly distressing for those with physical disabilities such as spinal cord injury (SCI). Neuropathic pain (NP) after SCI is often described using metaphorical expressions such as burning and electricity. This study explored the use of metaphors by those with NP after SCI. A qualitative, semi-structured interview design was employed. Data were analysed using content analysis (CA) and interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore prevalence of metaphor use and its meaning. Sixteen individuals aged between 23 and 82 years, with chronic NP (persisting for 3 months or longer), arising from SCI were interviewed in their homes or on hospital wards (M = 10, F = 6). Interviews lasted between 40 and 120 min. The results capture a range of metaphorical expressions embedded in participants' accounts. Three themes emerged: (1) pain as a personal attack, (2) the desire to b...

Chronic pain is like... The clinical use of analogy and metaphor in the treatment of chronic pain in children

In this paper, we will review and catalog some of the analogies and metaphors that can be used to describe chronic pain and its treatment to children and their families. There are many reasons why, particularly in the field of chronic pain, it is valuable to use creative analogies and metaphors to explain complex medical phenomenon. Analogies and metaphors, it seems, may help patients to understand the complexity of chronic pain in an accessible way that likely reduces resistance and helps them to rethink preconceived notions about pain. If a clinician is explaining how heart failure impacts the body, he or she is creating the knowledge base of the patient. When a clinician is discussing how chronic pain can occur or persist without ongoing disease or trauma, he or she must undo the patient's intuitive understanding of pain, which stems primarily from a lifetime of experiencing acute pain and differs in many important ways from the experience of chronic pain. Providers in the fi...