Interpretation of familiar metaphors and proverbs by Polish people in middle and late adulthood
Authors: Szepietowska Ewa Małgorzata , Filipiak Sara 
Published: June 2021

Background

The ability to understand figurative language, including metaphors and proverbs, decreases with age, although the phenomenon is not universal. Cognitive capacities and education play an important role in the competence connected with figurative language use and comprehension in people during the second half of life.

Aims

To identify possible similarities and differences in task performance by subjects representing middle adulthood (40–49 and 50–59 years old) and late adulthood (60–69 and 70–92 years old). Additionally, the analyses took into account factors significantly affecting the results, that is, tasks type (metaphors versus proverbs), the way the answer is given (open‐ended versus multiple choice) and types of answers (abstract and concrete). This study also aimed to identify some cognitive correlates of task completion.

Methods & Procedures

A total of 86 Caucasian subjects, aged 40–92 years, participated in this study (Mwhole group = 62.37, SD = 15.53); the group included 20 subjects aged 40–49 years (Mage = 45.4; SD = 3.05), 20 aged 50–59 years (Mage = 55.50; SD = 2.64), 20 aged 60–69 years (Mage = 64.40; SD = 2.78), and 26 aged 70–92 years (Mage = 79.15; SD = 6.27). A total of 20 well‐known Polish metaphors and 20 popular Polish proverbs were used to assess the level of proverb and metaphor comprehension. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale and Vocabulary subtest of the Polish version of WAIS‐R were applied to assess the cognitive functions.

Outcomes & Results

The results of the analyses suggest that there are differences as well as certain similarities between the groups. At 70+ years of age, the ability to explain and comprehend metaphors and proverbs decreases when compared with younger adults. In the 70+ group, the ability to grasp the meaning of both metaphors and proverbs is similar, unlike in the younger groups which present a better ability to explain and comprehend metaphors than proverbs. The conditions related to the types of tasks, that is, spontaneous interpretation and choice of responses, do not affect scores of the oldest subjects.

Conclusions

The analysis of response types, that is, abstract versus concrete, shows that, compared with younger groups, people aged 70+ years tend to less frequently provide abstract explanations and more often give concrete (but correct) responses, referring to situational data or examples from everyday life. Moreover, attention, short‐term/delayed memory and lexical reserve influence the ability to use and comprehend figurative language to a varied degree.

What this paper adds

What is already known on the subject

Studies focusing on metaphor and proverb interpretation by people in middle and late adulthood are rather scarce, and what is more, they provide inconclusive results. Research has shown that the capacities related to attention and memory, as well as language resources and executive functions, all deteriorate in older people, which negatively affects their ability to understand metaphors and proverbs. However, varied methods are applied to assess these skills, which may explain why the related findings are inconsistent.

What this paper adds to existing knowledge

The novelty of this study lies in the fact that the analyses took into account the type of task (metaphors versus proverbs), the method of responding (open‐ended versus multiple‐choice) and the nature of the answer (abstract versus concrete). This allowed us to highlight intergroup differences and to show specific characteristics of proverb and metaphor spontaneous interpretation and choice of correct answers. The results were compared among the participants representing relatively narrow age ranges classified as middle and late adulthood.

What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?

Analysis of how people in middle and late adulthood interpret metaphors and proverbs might constitute an element of preliminary screening assessment showing whether a decrease in this capacity is in the normal range or if it reflects a serious cognitive decline. It would be worthwhile if the diagnostic process included varied task designs, that is, both metaphors and proverbs, as well as spontaneous interpretation and multiple‐choice, as well as varied types of responses.