Cognitive processes involved in metaphor aptness

This article looks at metaphor aptness from the perspective of the class-inclusion model of metaphor comprehension and those models that assume a componential nature for the meanings of concepts. When the metaphor X is a Y is processed, the concept of X is included in a metaphorical class that is represented by Y, which is usually the most typical member of the metaphorical class. Degree of saliency of the defining feature in the vehicle and the extent to which this feature matches a relevant dimension of topic is the key factor in the degree of aptness of the metaphor. Degree of aptness becomes more complex in those metaphors that describe an abstract concept in terms of another concept. These metaphors include X into a metaphorical class through the mediation of those concepts that are associated to the abstract concept. If the associated concepts have a high degree of typicality in the metaphorical class, they could be better mediators for including the abstract concept into the metaphorical class. The variations of abstract concepts across individuals and their dependency on contexts and cultures could explain why such metaphors may have different degrees of aptness for different people.