The role of conceptual metaphor in the discursive interpretation of English-language psychology blogs

Abstract

This paper examines the specific features of discursive interpretation using English-language psychology blogs as a case study. The relevance of the study stems from the insufficient scholarly attention paid to psychology blogs from a cognitive-discursive perspective, which is essential for understanding how information embedded in such texts is encoded and decoded. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that discursive interpretation facilitates the comprehension and reconstruction of the blogger’s intent — specifically, the structuring of their own thoughts and the provision of self-help tools for readers. The research employs a set of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization) alongside techniques from cognitive linguistics, including conceptual and definitional analysis, contextual analysis, and elements of cognitive modelling. The study reveals the role of the cognitive mechanism “conceptual metaphor” in facilitating discursive interpretation. By translating abstract concepts into concrete-sensory ones, this mechanism allows the author to exert covert influence on the reader and model their behavior. Drawing on material from three texts by a single author, the following conceptual metaphor models are identified: JOURNEY, CONSTRUCTION AND CREATION, TRANSFORMATION, and PHYSICAL CORRESPONDENCE. While one model may predominate within a given text, these metaphors enable the blog author to rapidly and deeply integrate into the reader’s worldview and exert maximum impact upon them. In conclusion, the author posits that the conceptual metaphor functions as an instrument for meaning-structuring. The findings hold practical significance for analyzing the methodologies employed in psychology blogs.