The Metaphor Interpretation Test: Cognitive Processes Involved and Age Group Differences in Performance

.....................................................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................viii CHAPTER 1: Introduction.................................................................................................................................1 What are Metaphors? .................................................................................................................................2 Neuropsychology of Figurative Language................................................................................................14 Metaphorical Processing Across the Lifespan..........................................................................................45 CHAPTER 2: The Present Study .....................................................................................................................51 CHAPTER 3: Methods ....................................................................................................................................55 Participants...............................................................................................................................................55 Materials and Procedures.........................................................................................................................57 Statistical Analysis ....................................................................................................................................64 CHAPTER 4: Results.......................................................................................................................................65 Preliminry Analysis...................................................................................................................................65 Hypothesis 1: Age Differrences on the Metaphor Interpretation Test ......................................................67 Hypothesis 2/Correlational Analyses........................................................................................................69 Hypothesis 3/Regression Analyses ............................................................................................................73 Hypothesis 4/Covariance Analyses ...........................................................................................................77 Hypothesis 5: Effects of Perceived Familiarity.........................................................................................79 CHAPTER 5: Discussion.................................................................................................................................81 REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................95 APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................................118 Appendix A.............................................................................................................................................118 Appendix B .............................................................................................................................................128 VITA AUCTORIS .........................................................................................................................................129