Effects of Communication Modality and Speaker Identity on Metaphor Framing

ABSTRACT People regularly encounter metaphors in a variety of different communicative settings, but most studies of metaphor framing have relied exclusively on written materials. Across three experiments (N = 2399), we examined the relative power of metaphor framing in different communication formats. Participants read, heard, or watched someone report a series of metaphorically framed issues. They answered a target question about each issue by selecting between two response options, one of which was conceptually congruent with the metaphor frame. Results revealed a similarly-sized metaphor framing effect in each communication modality. Neither speaker gender nor race reliably moderated the effects of metaphor framing for audiovisual messages, though framing effects were stronger when the gender of the speaker and observer matched. We also replicated the finding that metaphors are more effective when they are extended into the response option language. These results provide new insights into the efficacy and generalizability of metaphor framing.