Abstract
Metaphor stands out as a captivating aspect of human language, which is often seen in both literary works and everyday language. While scholars have proposed distinctive arguments over the difference between metaphors in literary and non-literary contexts, the neural mechanisms underlying this distinction are still under explored. By employing EEG (electroencephalography) and eye-tracking technologies, this thesis investigates the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the processing of literary metaphors, as compared to non-literary metaphors and literal expressions. Article I explored the neural mechanisms involved in the comprehension of (non-)literary metaphors through event-related potential (ERP) and event-related spectral perturbation (ERSP). The ERP results suggested a two-phase processing mechanism for literary metaphors, showing significantly larger P200 and N400 amplitudes than non-literary metaphors and literal expressions. These findings reflect enhanced early attention allocation and increased demands in semantic integration. The ERSP results further revealed elevated delta and theta band activities in literary metaphor processing, suggesting greater cognitive effort involved in their comprehension. Article II used source localization algorithms to investigate the hemisphere involvement in metaphor processing. Findings indicated bilateral hemispheric engagement during metaphor processing. While literary metaphors elicited greater activation in the right hemisphere than non-literary metaphors, no statistically significant differences emerged between the two conditions. Article III examined metaphor processing in natural language context using eyetracking. Literary metaphors elicited longer reading times and more regressions than non-literary metaphors and literal expressions, with literariness increasing reading times specifically for literary metaphors. Meanwhile, individual differences in reading habits and interests modulated reading times from early to late processing stages. Collectively, this thesis advances our understanding of metaphor comprehension by exploring the spatiotemporal dynamics that distinguish literary metaphors from non-literary metaphors and literal expressions. It underscores the critical roles of context and inter-individual differences, bridging theoretical gaps in metaphor comprehension research.