Abstract
Sentences containing idioms used either literally or figuratively were presented repeatedly for 100 msec per presentation. Half of the sentences were preceded by a paragraph. The number of presentations required to read the sentences and cued recall of the sentences were recorded. The serial brief presentations method provided predictable and meaningful results. Sentences containing idioms used literally required more presentations than those containing idioms used figuratively. Cued recall was better for idioms used literally than for those used figuratively. These results are interpreted as support for the Idiomatic Processing Model of idiom comprehension, which suggests that the figurative meaning is processed first; only if that one is inappropriate is the literal meaning processed.
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Schweigert, W.A., Moates, D.R. Familiar idiom comprehension. J Psycholinguist Res 17, 281–296 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067198
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067198