Higher or lower? The relative morality in Chinese metaphorically associated with vertical space

• Published in: Journal of neurolinguistics 2023-08, Vol.67, p.101128, Article 101128
• Main Authors: Li, Ying, Tian, Weijuan, Liu, Bingjie, Zhao, Siyi, Wang, Yue
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Event-related potential; Metaphor; Moral concepts; Relativity; Vertical dimension
• ISSN: 0911-6044; 1873-8052
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2023.101128

Previous research found a metaphorical association between morality and vertical dimension, showing a corresponding relationship of “moral-up, immoral-down”. The present study further explored the relativity of Chinese morality metaphors on a vertical dimension by both behavioral experiments and the event-related potential (ERP) technique. Experiment 1 investigated how Chinese moral words being displayed in different vertical spaces affect semantic judgment. The results showed a faster response of “moral-up, immoral-down” between words than that in a converse condition. Experiment 2 explored how Chinese moral words being displayed on different vertical spaces affect the relativity judgment of moral valence. The results showed a faster response of words relatively higher in morality on the top of space than that on the bottom. Experiment 3 further examined the brain potential activity during the semantic processing of Chinese moral concepts. Words with higher morality activated stronger amplitudes of N200, P300 and also N400 when they were displayed on the bottom than on the top. The results not only indicated a correspondence of “moral-up, immoral-down” between moral concepts and vertical dimension, but also showed a metaphorical association between morality degree and vertical visual dimension. Specifically, concepts with relatively higher morality correspond to the upper space while those with relatively lower morality correspond to the lower space. •Mental representation had a metaphorical association between morality and vertical space.•The concept of morality was relative, which showed that morality metaphors on vertical space were relative.•ERP was used to investigate the semantic processing of relatively moral metaphor in vertical space.