the present study is a randomized pilot project that intends to test the graded salience hypothesis (giora, 1997), to investigate the major factors contributing to understanding meaning. according to graded salience hypothesis, more salient meanings–coded meanings foremost on our mind due to conventionality, frequency, familiarity, or prototypicality–are accessed faster than and reach sufficien...

We describe the pattern of fixations of subjects looking at figurative and abstract paintings from different artists (Molina, Mondrian, Rembrandt, della Francesca) and at modified versions in which different aspects of these art pieces were altered with simple digital manipulations. We show that the fixations of the subjects followed some general common principles (e.g., being attracted to sali...

Recent emphases on differences between metaphors and similes pose a quandary. The two forms clearly differ in strength, but often seem to require similar interpretations. In Experiment 1 we show that ratings of comprehensibility are highly correlated across simile and metaphor sentences differing only in the presence or absence of “like”. In Experiment 2 we show that comprehensibility ratings f...

The difficulties experienced by autistic individuals with regard to communication and language are widely known and well documented. Individuals with High functioning autism (ASD) are distinguished by relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive skills. However, problems with pragmatic language skills have been consistently reported across the autistic spectrum, even when structural langua...

Cognitive scientists interested in the link between language and visual experience have shown that linguistic input influences eye movements. Research in this area, however, tends to focus on literal language alone. In the current study, we investigate whether figurative language influences eye movements. In our experiment, participants viewed two-dimensional depictions of static spatial scenes...