Eyes widen in response to interest and engagement. In a new cognitive study, Princeton scientists have shown that pupils consistently dilate more in r

In new cognitive research from Princeton, people's eyes reveal that clichés are underrated

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2021-10-20 19:30:03

Eyes widen in response to interest and engagement. In a new cognitive study, Princeton scientists have shown that pupils consistently dilate more in response to metaphors than to literal or concrete statements, demonstrating that even everyday metaphors — sometimes called clichés — engage our brains more than plain language.

As busy people, we juggle many tasks, keep many balls in the air, and try to avoid letting anything drop. In class, instructors toss out ideas; sometimes they go over our heads, but other times we grasp them quickly.

The sentences above contain familiar metaphors, sometimes called clichés: common words or phrases borrowed from physical actions to convey abstract concepts. Poets and writers may create new and compelling metaphors, but all of us use hundreds of these everyday metaphors in regular conversations.

A team of Princeton scientists has found a way to measure the impact of this metaphorical language. By tracking split-second pupil dilation as a response to an impactful experience, they've found that our brains consistently pay more attention to conventional metaphors than similar alternatives. For example, “grasping a new idea” triggers a bigger response than either the literal equivalent “learning a new idea” or the concrete phrase “grasping a doorknob.”