Shaping Time: Conceptualizations of Time through Shape Metaphors

Previous research has shown that people represent the abstract concept of time by constructing metaphoric mappings from the more concrete domain of space. Earlier studies have revealed that different spatial metaphorical mapping systems are employed when people think about time (e.g., front/back, ego-moving/time-moving). However, it is possible that the abstract concept of time is also represented by means of shape metaphors. Two experiments investigated this possibility. The results extend previous findings and suggest that the use of shape metaphors in language influences participants’ representations of the abstract concept of time.