The development of similarity: testing the prediction of a computational model of metaphor comprehension

An empirical study is presented that tests a novel prediction generated by the Metaphor-by-Pattern-Completion (MPC) connectionist model of metaphor comprehension (Thomas & Mareschal, 2001). The MPC model predicts a developmental progression in the way that children process metaphors, from a preference for basic-level metaphors to a preference for subordinate-level metaphors. Preference for different kinds of verbal similarity statements was assessed for 73 children, aged 4 10, along with justifications. The prediction of the model was confirmed, providing evidence for the attendant assumption of the model, specifically that metaphorical comprehension is intimately linked to the emerging structure of semantic representations in children.