Abstract: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of contextual clues on novel metaphor processing. The results of Experiment 1 showed the RTs of metaphors under the contextual condition were significantly longer than the non-contextual condition, and the RTs of sensorial metaphors were longer than psycho-physical metaphors. ERP results showed that, comparing with non-contextual condition, sensorial metaphors under the contextual condition induced more negative N400 in the anterior position and more positive LPC in the middle position. Comparing with non-contextual condition, psycho-physical metaphors under contextual condition induced more positive LPC in the front and top position. In Experiment 2, the metaphors with multiple mapping paths were processed slowly than the metaphors with single mapping path no matter what the mapping concreteness was. The results indicate that contextual clues interfere with the processing of the novel metaphors which with abstract mapping, at late processing stage. However, the interference on the novel metaphors which with concrete mapping run through the middle and late processing stages. The number of mapping path must be considered when exploring the relationship between mapping concreteness and novel metaphor processing.

Key words: novel metaphor, mapping concreteness, mapping path, contextual clues, event-related potentials (ERPs)

摘要： 研究旨在考察映射具体性对新颖隐喻加工的影响及语境线索的作用，并进一步探索映射具体性高的隐喻加工困难的原因。实验1的ERPs结果发现：知觉隐喻反应时显著长于物理-心理隐喻和直接语义；两类隐喻在有语境线索下的反应时显著长于无语境线索。有语境线索的知觉隐喻比无语境线索在前部位置诱发了更负的N400成分，在中部诱发了更正的LPC成分；有语境线索的物理-心理隐喻在前部、顶部比无语境线索诱发了更正LPC成分。实验2的语义判断任务结果发现：在映射具体性不同的两类隐喻中，多映射通路隐喻的反应时均显著长于单一映射通路隐喻。总体结果支持语境线索对新颖隐喻加工的干扰效应。

关键词: 新颖隐喻, 映射具体性, 映射通路, 语境线索, 事件相关电位（ERPs）