Analogies (Adages) As Aids For Comprehending Structural Relations In Text

In two experiments, relational metaphors (adages) were used as titles to introduce associated passages. As analogical frames, adages were hypothesized to facilitate learning and retrieval of higher-order systematic information shared by the adage and the text. In Experiment 1, adages clearly facilitated the processing of general ideas and higher-order principles. In Experiment 2, the higher the degree of structural relations embedded in the titles of the passages the greater the degree of recall and accessibility of system-related ideas. As analogical representations, adages facilitated access and retention when they were already available in the schema of the learner and their relation to the text was readily perceived by the learner. The theoretical implications of adages as cognitive organizers in providing scaffolding for relational information of meaningful learning were discussed. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.