Walls block waves: Using an inundation metaphor of immigration predicts support for a border wall

From early 20th century headlines to presidential tweets, immigration is described frequently in terms of waves, floods, and tides. Although usage this inundation metaphor has been widely documented, its potential influence on attitudes not assessed empirically. Building from conceptual theory’s claim that abstract ideas can be grounded simpler, concrete concepts, we hypothesized using the understand contributes support for a U.S.—Mexico border wall as figurative means block immigrants. Accordingly, social media posts supporting contained more inundation-metaphoric expressions than messages opposing without reference (Study 1; N = 4,067). Converging experimental tests show, when controlling political attitudes, exposure increases (Studies 2a 2b; 737). These findings add growing body evidence cognition policy are partly motivated by metaphoric comparisons irrelevant literal sense.