A Cognitive Analysis on the Symbolization Patterns of ‘Gao’ in Multi-Modal Texts

There are many different ways where concepts shaped by our experiences, are symbolized. Sometimes these concepts are represented in a single modality, such as speech, writing, or drawing, but more commonly, they are represented in a mixture of modalities. This paper examines the cognitive mechanisms through which the concept 'Gao' is represented in multi-modal texts and considers the ways in which image and text influence each other. The conclusions obtained from such study are as described below.BR Firstly, the concept 'Gao' is capable of being represented by a variety of images. At this time, the level at which the meaning of the text is elaborated differs depending on the image represented by a value. Conversely, the texts are also able to elaborate the images. This demonstrates that texts and images complement each other to draw what it means finally.BR Secondly, the less detailed and more abstract the text 'Gao' is, the more multiple values may be given to the image. However, even if the image is given a variety of values, the fundamental frame the concept 'Gao' holds is 'Vertical Schemas'.BR Thirdly, the Vertical Schemas reminded by the concept 'Gao' is depicted in the form of highlighting the vertical length in the image, indicating the difference in length between objects, or placing objects on a vertical hierarchy.BR Fourthly, when the text 'Gao' indicates a quantitative level above a certain threshold, the image is symbolized in a way that personifies the amount of a particular component via an ontological metaphor. Alternatively, the same concept is symbolized in the quantitative point of view via the [MORE IS HIGH] metaphor, or secondarily in the vertical point of view. This demonstrates a step-by-step symbolization pattern of the [MORE IS HIGH] metaphor.BR Fifthly, when the text 'Gao' indicates a qualitative level above a certain threshold, the image represents the source domain, and then some text is added to represent the target domain. Consequently, this demonstrates that all elements of such image are symbolized to produce a secondary meaning metaphorically.BR Finally, this study demonstrated that when the concept 'Gao' is symbolized in text or image, there are elements highlighted and concealed via metonymical choices. This also demonstrated that elements which are not emphasized in text are complemented by images, and that gestures and metaphorical expressions based on the same physiological experience have similar symbolization patterns.BR This study is expected to provide new ideas to expand the study objects of Cognitive Semantics in the theoretical field and help organize illustrations appropriate for the text of textbooks in educational field, or organize lesson plans that analyze cultural contents such as advertisements, movie posters, and music videos in classes. Additionally, this study is also expected to be used as useful data for more comprehensive analysis of multi-modal texts such as advertisements, satirical cartoons, and news in the field of application.