Abstract
Using "image scheme" and "metaphorical proJection", Lakoff (1987) and Johnson (1987) provlded new insights into the development of concept formation, and showed the importance of the body-environment interaction. The present study of children established the psychological validity of the image scheme. In the first experiment there were two conditions : the "regular scheme" and the "reverse scheme". Children's motion images were tested for the two words, toru ("take") and watasu ("give"), which were used to prompt subjects to operate a device. For both words, there were significantly fewer correct responses under the "reverse scheme" condition. To further clarify the influence of a word's image on actual movement, a second experiment compared responses under two other conditions, one using toru/watasu instructions (motion image word) and the other directional ("this way") instructions (non-motion image word). Learning was faster under the motion image word condition. This study showed that the difference between actual movement and verbal "motion image" encourages learning, and indirectly confirmed the psychological validity of the image scheme.
