Abstract
We propose that concepts exist along a continuum of abstraction, from highly concrete to highly abstract, and we explore a critical kind of abstract category: relational abstractions. We argue that these relational categories emerge gradually from concrete concepts through a process of progressive analogical abstraction that renders their common structure more salient. This account is supported by recent findings in historical linguistics, language acquisition and neuroscience. We suggest that analogical abstraction provides a major route for the development of abstractions in language and cognition.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1298-1307 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Language, Cognition and Neuroscience |
| Volume | 34 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 26 2019 |
Keywords
- Analogical abstraction
- career of metaphor
- concept development
- progressive alignment
- relational categories
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Language and Linguistics
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics and Language
- Cognitive Neuroscience
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Gentner, D., & Asmuth, J. (2019). Metaphoric extension, relational categories, and abstraction. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 34(10), 1298-1307. https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2017.1410560