ABSTRACT
The only multiple-choice test of metaphoric comprehension presently available was constructed from figures of speech occurring in compositions written by children and young adults. Metaphoric competence was defined in terms of the various tests of figurative ability as well as in terms of figurative scorings for as many of the remaining tasks as possible. R. J. Sternberg’s analysis lays claim to some pretty fair historical ancestry in suggesting analogy as the major process underlying metaphoric use and/or understanding. The major point, however, is that a strict use of analogy as the model for metaphor may serve to impoverish metaphoric diction rather than enrich it. Researchers concerned with memory for metaphor, for example, have often made use of proverbs or Shakespearean metaphors. Other researchers, particularly those working with children, have had to construct their own evaluation procedures. The chapter aims to examine the pattern of relationships existing between complex problem solving and figurative competence.
