Salience, similes, and the asymmetry of similarity

Ortony, Andrew; Vondruska, Richard J.; Foss, Mark A.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/31293 Copy

Description

Title

Salience, similes, and the asymmetry of similarity

Author(s)

• Ortony, Andrew
• Vondruska, Richard J.
• Foss, Mark A.

Issue Date

1985-03

Keyword(s)

• asymmetry of similarity
• salience imbalance

Abstract

Models of similarity have traditionally assumed that the similarity relation is symmetrical. However, when reversed, similarity statements frequently have different properties from those of the original. Previous attempts to account for the asymmetry of similarity, have focused only on literal comparisons, resulting in a tendency to underestimate the degree of asymmetry in non-literal comparisons (i.e., similes). A model of similarity is proposed to account for the varying degrees of asymmetry found in all kinds of natural language comparisons. In this model, asymmetry is attributed to an imbalance in the salience of the shared attributes. Studies are reported which test key aspects of the model. The results appear to provide converging evidence for the claim that asymmetry of similarity is due at least in part to salience imbalance.

Publisher

• Champaign, Ill. : University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for the Study of Reading.
• Cambridge, Mass. : Bolt Beranek and Newman, Inc.

Series/Report Name or Number

Center for the Study of Reading Technical Report ; no. 332

Type of Resource

text

Language

eng

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/31293

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 1985 Board of Trustees University of Illinois

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