Explores whether the interpretation of figurative passages presents a comprehension problem different from that of any difficult text. Indicates that although some abilities important in processing isolated figurative expressions carry over to figurative passage interpretation, these figurative-unique abilities can not definitively account for the…

Two experiments are described in which reaction times for understanding target sentences or phrases in terms of a preceding context were measured. In experiment one, the target sentences followed either short or long contexts which induced either literal interpretations or metaphorical ones. Results indicated that only in the short context…

To learn more about how people read literary texts, with a view to improving the way literature is taught in schools, a study examined the extent to which the reading of literature is affected by variations in readers, texts, and situations. Subjects, 12 skilled (faculty) readers and 96 novice (undergraduate) readers, read a short story, either in…