Abstract
Two experiments examined the effects of familiarity and context on the reading and recall of metaphorical sentences. In Experiment 1, eye movements were recorded during the reading of high- or low-familiar target metaphors that were preceded by either a related metaphor, an unrelated metaphor, or an unrelated literal sentence. High-familiar metaphors were read more quickly than low-familiar metaphors. Related metaphor contexts facilitated reading times. Experiment 2 examined memory for high- and low-familiar metaphors using the 3 context conditions from Experiment 1 as cues. The high-and low-familiar metaphors were remembered at similar rates. Metaphors cued by a related metaphor were recalled at a higher rate than those cued by an unrelated literal or metaphorical sentence. The results suggest a partial dissociation between comprehension and memory processes.