Comments on: Is crime a virus or a beast? How metaphors shape our thoughts and decisions

By: Emmanuel

Emmanuel — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 20:33:16 +0000

Always fascinating
That remind me a previous article from the nytimes : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html

By: Matt B.

Matt B. — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:47:55 +0000

I avoid calling organisms “creatures”, since the etymology refers to creation.

Not exactly on the subject, but when it comes to how the job of the police is framed, I get annoyed at the ads run before every holiday that say, “The police will be out in force this holiday. If you drink and drive, you will be arrested, you will go to jail.” It talks to you the viewer as if the police are out to get you. If they said, “Police will be out in force this holiday to make sure you aren’t harmed by drunk drivers,” it would set the police up as a protector, rather than an enemy, of the people. I sent a letter to the USDOT about that, since they pay for the ads.

By: FrankH

FrankH — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:14:38 +0000

The link for the flowing water analogy affecting the “student’s ability to wire up circuit diagrams” is http://groups.psych.northwestern.edu/gentner/papers/GentnerGentner83.pdf

By: Danna

Danna — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:21:21 +0000

Addiction as a disease is not a metaphor. Addiction is a disease.

By: Ruth Seeley

Ruth Seeley — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:10:24 +0000

Fascinating piece and some nice synchronicity on this subject as I just read Abe Lincoln, Vampire Killer this weekend, which suggests that slavery was perpetuated in the US to ensure a ready supply of vampire food. I don’t mean to sound frivolous – it was an entertaining enough read, but I wondered when I reviewed it on Goodreads if externalizing evil (almost outsourcing it if you will) was a good – or moral – premise for a novel.

By: HowToLiveHappily

HowToLiveHappily — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:51:07 +0000

@Jon: I find it sad that officials in the criminal justice system compare criminals to monsters.

This kind of attitude only adds to the problem and doesn’t really stop crime.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:22:29 +0000

And the authors also note that the metaphor of crime as disease has two subtle variants. You can either depict is as a virus that spreads across a population (as in this study), or you can depict it as a cancer that eats away the population from within. In future studies, they want to look at the different effects of these slightly contrasting metaphors.

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 05:20:01 +0000

After reading this article for a Criminal Justice Ethics course I would like to add how officials in the criminal justice system compare criminals to monsters as well. You see this metaphor especially when it comes to vicious crimes or serial and mass murderers. Very well written article though I enjoyed it.

By: Lilian Nattel

Lilian Nattel — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 03:59:57 +0000

This is fascinating. As a writer, I think a lot about the words I use not only for their literary impact, but also morally. This study gives scientific weight to it now, too.

By: Dave Richardson

Dave Richardson — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:09:58 +0000

A fascinating article. Metaphors are powerful and hardwired into our brain. By being more aware of the metaphors used by those who seek influence us we can be see through spin and political manipulation.
http://www.metaphorsandsimiles.com/politics/metaphors-analogies-similes.aspx