Throughout the article, "Don't", written by Jonah Lehrer of the New Yorker, there are metaphors used to explain certain instances to make it easier for the reader to understand what is being talked about.
For example, "The room was little more than a large closet...", giving the reader an image of the testing room. There is also "One of Mischel's favorite metaphors", "known as interactionism, concerns a car making a screeching noise. How does a mechanic solve the problem? He begins by trying to identify the specific conditions that trigger the noise. Is there a screech when the car is accelerating, or when it’s shifting gears, or turning at slow speeds? Unless the mechanic can give the screech a context, he’ll never find the broken part. Mischel wanted psychologists to think like mechanics, and look at people’s responses under particular conditions."
This metaphor explains simply how Mischel wants phycologists to think. This is a very clear image, even for a reader who knows little about science.
Another metaphor is "When Odysseus had himself tied to the ship’s mast, he was using some of the skills of metacognition: knowing he wouldn’t be able to resist the Sirens’ song, he made it impossible to give in." This metaphor from Greek mythology, explains how diverting your senses from something (in the case of the study a marshmallow) will make it easier for one to succeed.
Stemming from this idea is the explanation of mental tricks, "such as pretending that the candy is only a picture, surrounded by an imaginary frame". Children had better success with avoiding eating the marshmallow if they didn't concentrate on it.
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/05/18/090518fa_fact_lehrer?printable=true#ixzz1DUJL6NpS
You found good metaphors! And you explained them very well.
ReplyDelete