AN UNBEATABLE ENEMY OR A CONQUERABLE CHALLENGE: RE-EXAMINING THE ROLE OF METAPHOR IN ANXIETY EXPRESSION AND REGULATION

Abstract

Metaphors as a linguistic phenomenon are often confined to literary spheres, though they are pervasive in colloquial language. In everyday examples, metaphors enable individuals to better understand complex, abstract concepts. Extensive work explores the impact of metaphors on mindset across contexts. To our knowledge, little has examined the effect of metaphors on anxiety, except for Tidwell (2020), albeit with very limited sample size. This study re-examines the influence of metaphoric framings of enemy and challenge on anxiety. Seventy-one participants were randomly assigned to create self-relevant metaphors to describe in writing their anxiety as a challenge or enemy, or control - describing their coping mechanisms and strategies. Their anxiety is measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), at the beginning, middle, and end of metaphoric framing. It was found that participants across all groups experienced reduced anxiety, including in the control group. Metaphors helped reduce anxiety, as much as one’s own coping strategy did.