A Model of the Role of Conceptual Metaphors in Hypermedia Comprehension

A Model of the Role of Conceptual Metaphors in Hypermedia Comprehension
Anne-Sophie Collard, Pierre Fastrez
Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium

Metaphors in hypermedia: context
We understand the way we interact with hypermedia through metaphor
The very notion of "navigation" implies an underlying spatial metaphor (Edwards & Hardman 1989, Panurak 1989, Dillon, McKnight et Richardson 1990, Dieberger 1994, Kim & Hirtle 1995)
Numerous hypermedia interfaces reproduce familiar objects or locations to facilitate their use
E.g.: virtual campuses, websites for kids…)
“Spatial hypertext” has been advocated as a means to facilitate navigation(Marshall & Shipman 1995; Dieberger 1995)
A.-S. Collard & P. Fastrez
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An example of hypermedia using an explicit (city) metaphor

Metaphors in hypermedia: context
Metaphors are often recognized as a means to facilitate hypermedia navigation…
… but their effect is seldom explained.
We propose a theoretical framework
based on conceptual metaphor theory (or CMT, Lakoff & Johnson) and blending theory (or BT, Fauconnier & Turner)
to explain the role metaphor plays, as a cognitive tool, in hypermedia comprehension
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Outline
Theoretical foundations: metaphors and conceptual blending
Our proposal : a three-layer model
The model in the course of navigation
Conclusions and future work
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Metaphor as a cognitive tool
CMT(Lakoff & Johnson 1980, 1999) considers metaphors as:
cognitive tools, not literary style figures
a means of understanding abstract concepts in terms of more concrete ones
involving the mapping of image-schematic structure from a source experience domain to a target experience domain
E.g.: DISCUSSION IS WAR
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Metaphor as a cognitive tool
Metaphorical mappings
are partial but systematic
highlight some aspects of the target, but hide others
are organized hierarchically:
elaborate high-level structural metaphors inherit mappings from lower-level (e.g. ontological or orientation) metaphors
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Conceptual integration networks
Conceptual blending:
a basic and ubiquitous cognitive operation that accounts for many aspects of human imagination (Turner 2002)
involves the construction and manipulation of a conceptual integration network
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Mental spaces in the network:
Input spaces, generic space, and blend
Cross-space mapping between input spaces and selective projection into the blend
Composition, completion and elaboration
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Conceptual metaphors can be described and analyzed in terms of blends
E.g. “this surgeon is a butcher”
We will analyze the metaphors underlying hypermedia use and comprehension using BT terminology and notation
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A three-layer model
Based on empirical research on factors influencing knowledge construction through hypermedia use
Factors =
Hypermedia structure (Fastrez 2002, 2005)
Metaphors in hypermedia interfaces (Collard 2009)
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A three-layer model
Focus on the construction of the mental model of a hypermedia
This model integrates, through multiple metaphorical projections, different items from distinct mental spaces
These projections are organized in a hierarchical structure
i.e.: the higher-level mappings inherit the structure of lower-level projections
This structure includes three levels, or “layers”
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1 | Primary metaphors
Pervasive orientation and ontological metaphors
Source domain: our experience of space
A dual metaphor
Motion through space
Pages and sections are CONTAINERS connected by PATHS
Egocentric or exocentric orientation
Object manipulation
Pages and sections are nested CONTAINERS opened by the user
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Documented for the web by Matlock & Maglio 1996, Maglio & Matlock 1998, 2003
Documented for off-line hypermedia by Fastrez 2002
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Target: Action of subject (S) on document (D)
Target: State of S with respect to D

Documented for the web by Matlock & Maglio 1996, Maglio & Matlock 1998, 2003
Documented for off-line hypermedia by Fastrez 2002
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Target: Processing of information (I) by subject (S)

2 | Generic metaphors
Conventional structural metaphors
Hypermedia as a typical media format
“To me, a website is like a…”
Source concepts (Collard 2009):
Book (page, chapter, title…)
Library (entrance, floor…)
Tree
Spider web
…
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3 | Specific metaphors
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Specific hypermedia rely on specific metaphors
Specific metaphors provide additional structure to generic metaphors
Example: « Biblio »
Library > floors > aisles > books > chapters

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The source domain of a specific metaphor can structure a hyperdocument at the physical and at the semantic level

Biblio, Texto, and HyperDoc
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Biblio ‘entrance’ page
Hypermediaticmetaphor, with the library as a source
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Biblio ‘floor’ page
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Biblio ‘aisle’ page
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Biblio ‘book’ page
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Texto homepage
Hypertextualmetaphor, with the library as a source
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Texto main section page
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Texto subsection page
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Texto page
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HyperDochomepage
No specificmetaphor
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HyperDoc main section page
No specificmetaphor
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HyperDocsubsection page
No specificmetaphor
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HyperDoc page
No specificmetaphor
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Specific metaphors, when explicit (i.e. interfacial), tend to determine what generic metaphor is used to make sense of the hyperdocument
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Answers to the question « To me, thiswebsiteisbuiltlike a… »
χ2 = 32.58 ; p < 0.001

The whole picture
Each layer in the network inherits structure from the previous layer
The blend includes the user
not just a metaphor of the hypermedia itself
Cf. dual primary spatial metaphor
Simplified examples:
Visiting this library
Browsing this book
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Bodily experience of space
Hypermedia
Motion through space
Building
Navigation in a
building
This library

The whole picture
Each layer in the network inherits structure from the previous layer
The blend includes the user
not just a metaphor of the hypermedia itself
Cf. dual primary spatial metaphor
Simplified examples:
Browsing this book
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Bodily experience of space
Hypermedia
Object Mani-pulation
Document
Document browsing
This book
Browsing this book

The whole picture
The network is seldom unified and coherent
Rather, it is a patchwork of blends constructed opportunistically within context
Both primary metaphors (navigation and manipulation) are often used by the same users
The same ‘source’ input spaces can be mapped to different ‘target’ spaces depending on context
Hyperdocument structure, contents, or both
Targets from different layers
E.g. webpage vs. library book page…
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The whole picture
Generic webpage metaphor (subject from Biblio condition)
« Il y avait la porte d'entrée, je suis rentré dedans, je suis arrivé sur heu, oui, la page où il y avait, je pense que c'était l'accueil. Et il y avait les trois, les différents étages où je pouvais aller. Voilà, là j'ai été au premier étage. »
Specific library book page metaphor (same subject)
« Je sais pas si c'était dans cet étage-là où il y avait "physique", "télécommunication", 'fin bref en tout cas je suis rentr', j'ai cliqué sur un, sur une des options, et heu ben en fonction de là à nouveau j'avais des livres, j'ai cliqué sur un livre, et à nouveau j'avais une page qui s'ouvrait , les caractéristiques "page suivante" etc.
(…)
En tout cas il y avait une étagère avec plusieurs livres et il y avait le livre "Firewall" et j'ai cliqué dessus. Et voilà, c'était le livre où il y avait la plus petite explication, c'est pour ça que j'ai retenu. Et heu voilà, je pense c'est une ou deux pages et après on pouvait tout simplement fermer le livre. »
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The whole picture
Generic webpage metaphor (subject from Biblio condition)
“There was the entrance door, I went in, I came onto… uh, yes, the page where there was, I think it was the reception. And there were the three, the different floors where I could go. Then I went to the first floor.”
Specific library book page metaphor (same subject)
“I don’t know if it was in that floor where there was « physics », « telecommunication », anyway in any case I went int’, I clicked on a, on one of the options and… uh well… in function of this again I had books, I clicked on a book, and again I had a page that opened, the properties ‘next page’, etc.
(…)
In any case, there was a shelf with several books and there was the ‘Firewall’ book and I clicked on it. And then, it was the book where there was the shortest explanation, that’s why I remembered. And uh… then, I think it’s one or two pages and then one could simply close the book.”
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‘Running the blend’
The conceptual integration network is built dynamically
It can be modified in the course of navigation
It can modify the course of navigation
It can be modified by the course of navigation
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The CIN can be modified in the course of navigation
E.g. switching between navigation and manipulation in the library…
Same interaction, different blend
(source: Neisser 1976)
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The CIN can modify the course of navigation
Example: browsing ‘books in the library’
Two specific navigation tools:
table of contents
Previous page / next page links
Texto subjects tend to use the TOC more than Biblio subjects, as an alternative to the ‘previous/next’ links
pTexto = 0.39 ; pBiblio = 0.09 ; p < 0;001
They interpret the ‘previous/next’ links as ‘back’ and ‘forward’ browser buttons, without relying on the book metaphor
They are confused about how they work when they try them
Biblio subjects are able to interpret these links within the context of the book metaphor
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The CIN can be modified by the course of navigation
Example: browsing ‘books in the library’
When Biblio subjects interpret the “previous-next” links outside of the book metaphor, their usage of these links prompt them to construct the appropriate metaphorical mapping
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Conclusions and future work
Different metaphors orient the user’s comprehension of hypermedia and of their interaction with it, depending on the way they are implemented and the way they are made explicit
Metaphors impact navigation behavior, and therefore are likely to impact the way the user constructs knowledge through browsing.
Future empirical work will explore:
The specific effects of metaphors on navigation behavior
The extent to which these effects impact contents understanding
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Thank you for your attention
Questions?
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A Model of the Role of Conceptual Metaphors in Hypermedia Comprehension

by Pierre Fastrez

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