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Image Schemas

Table of Contents

Image-schemas presentation

Introduction

Image Schemas Classification

Image Schemas Descriptions

Image Schemas and DOLCE

Image Schemas and IPR

Introduction

Research in cognitive linguistics has shown that spatial relations in a given language decompose into conceptual primitives called 'IMAGE SCHEMAS' , and these conceptual primitives appear to be universal. They are conceptual + perceptual and they are a link between language and spatial perception.

Image schemas are concepts characterised in the sensory-motor system. They are supposed the right form to characterise the source domain of conceptual metaphors.

Also, they are supposed to be computed in the motor-cortex as secondary areas, while X-schemas are computed in the premotor cortex. X-schemas can function independently and characterise the logic of the aspect in the abstract. They also relates functional clusters. It is developed in the theory of cogs.

Ex. Above schema which is orientational, contact schema which is a topological schema and support schema that it is force-dynamics.

Image Schemas Classification

GOAL: To build from topological schema the others

1st. Step: To establish the main topological schemas

Topological

From W. Khun:

  • Surface
  • Contact
  • Container (IN-OUT-BOUNDARY)
  • Link

Ex: Direct metaphors from IN/OUT

    • Full-Empty
    • 0-1
    • Content

Source-Path-Goal (It is extended by metaphor in the 2nd and 3th steps)

Derived from Container:

    • Out ~ Source
    • Boundary is divided in two: hole and Path
    • In ~ Goal

    * We understand as metaphor, an isomorphism between two sets.

    2nd. step: Space (understood as a metric is included)

    When metrics is involved another schemas appear, in these schemas the reference system is important:

    Reference system: EARTH

    The object is subjected to a reference system on earth, there is something external is applied over the object: a force and of course, an acceleration. Example: Verticality

    Reference system: BODY

    Example: Front-Back, Left-Right

    Center-Periphery

    Straight, Near-Far

    3th. step: Time is included

    Momentum and force-dynamics schemas

    The object is subjected to a velocity and an acceleration

    There are two main momentum: Linear (m*v) and angular (m*w*r).


    Image Schemas Alternative Classification

    Space: UP-DOWN, FRONT-BACK, LEFT-RIGHT, NEAR-FAR, CENTREPERIPHERY, CONTACT, STRAIGHT, VERTICALITY

    Containment: CONTAINER, IN-OUT, SURFACE, FULL-EMPTY, CONTENT

    Locomotion: MOMENTUM, SOURCE-PATH-GOAL

    Balance: AXIS BALANCE, TWIN-PAN BALANCE, POINT BALANCE, EQUILIBRIUM

    Force: COMPULSION, BLOCKAGE, COUNTERFORCE, DIVERSION, REMOVAL OF RESTRAINT, ENABLEMENT, ATTRACTION, RESISTANCE

    Unity/multiplicity: MERGING, COLLECTION, SPLITTING, ITERATION, PART-WHOLE,COUNT-MASS, LINK(AGE)

    Identity: MATCHING, SUPERIMPOSITION

    Existence: REMOVAL, BOUNDED SPACE, CYCLE, OBJECT, PROCESS

    Scale: PATH

    Image Schemas Descriptions

    Descriptions of Image Schemas in the context of a Wayfinding System in Airports ["Structuring Space with Image Schemata: Wayfinding in Airports as a Case Study", M. Raubal et al., 1997].

    CONTAINER

    A CONTAINER has an inside, an outside, and a boundary, and represents the idea of containment. In an airport people apply the CONTAINER schema to buildings as well as to gates and signs.
    • in (I, departure hall): “I am in the departure hall.”
    • not in (“C”, signs): “I don’t see C listed in the yellow signs.”
    • CONTAINER (departure hall): “I enter this hall which is the departure hall.”
    • CONTAINER (gate): “I enter the gate.”

    SURFACE

    This schema is a trivial one and people need it all the time while standing or walking. One interviewee used the SURFACE schema to refer to the absence of moving corridors that are part of some airports: “They don’t have this corridor which you can stand on.”
    • SURFACE (hall): “The hall has got a clear open area to walk.”
    • moving, walking, going -> SURFACE: “People are walking.”

    PATH

    The PATH schema is especially important for wayfinding tasks as people always move along PATHS. A PATH has a starting point, an endpoint, and a connection between them.
    • PATH (I, ticket counter): “Now I move to the ticket counter.”
    • towards (I, C) -> PATH (I, C): “I am heading towards C.”

    LINK

    People relate connected objects via LINKS. Such LINKS occur both in our spatial and temporal experience. Airport-passengers try to establish visual LINKS between their current position and the location of the object they are looking for. LINKS (not necessarily visual LINKS) are transitive, e.g., if a LINK exists between the passenger’s position and a sign, and another LINK between the same sign and an object location, then there is a LINK between the passenger and the object.
    • LINK (I, signs): “I can see the yellow signs.”
    • above (signs, ticket counters): “There are signs above them (i.e., the ticket counters).”
    • LINK (ticket counter, ticket counter, etc.): “All ticket counters are lined up in a row.”

    CENTER-PERIPHERY

    This image schema is used for orientation. In most of the cases the passenger functions as the center and the surrounding environment is periphery. But sometimes the center is an object of the environment.
    • CENTER-PERIPHERY (I, objects of departure hall): “I am in the departure hall and I can see the yellow signs in front of me.”
    • around (pillars, seats): “It’s got some big pillars with seats around them.”

    ATTRACTION

    While performing a wayfinding task people always seem to be spatially attracted to certain features.
    • directed towards (I, signs): “I am kind of directed towards the bright yellow signs.”
    • ATTRACTION (I, letters): “My eyes are more attracted to the yellow letters.”

    BLOCKAGE

    BLOCKAGES are obstacles (e.g., walls or pillars) that stand in the way of PATHS and LINKS and, therefore, render wayfinding tasks more difficult.
    • blocking (pillar, “C”): “There is a pillar which might be blocking C.”
    • blocking (architectural feature, view to C) = blocking (architectural feature, LINK (I, C)): “Architectural feature that might be blocking my view to C.”

    FULL-EMPTY

    Wayfinding in airports gets more difficult when the space is crowded; therefore, this image schema has to be taken into account.
    • full (duty-free area, people): “It’s quite crowded here (i.e., in the duty-free area).”
    • empty (hallway, people): “It is not too busy here.”

    MATCHING

    In order to know that they are on the right track or have arrived at the right gate, people have to match their cognitive information with the environmental information (e.g., the content of signs).
    • MATCHING (cognitive information “C53”, environmental information “C53”): “It tells me it’s boarding C53, so I have confirmation about that.”

    BALANCE

    A well-structured, balanced spatial design facilitates environmental interaction for users.
    • BALANCE (ticket counters): “Again the space is such that it looks like all ticket counters are lined up in a row.”
    • BALANCE (signs): “We have clear yellow signs.”

    OBJECT

    The OBJECT schema is a trivial one as people use it all the time to identify discrete entities in space.
    • OBJECT (yellow sign), OBJECT (ticket counter), OBJECT (gate), etc.

    ENABLEMENT

    The criteria for using this image schema are a potential force vector and the absence
    of barriers or blocking COUNTERFORCES.
    • can (I, see signs): “I can see the yellow signs.” The same meaning could also be expressed as enables (LINK (I, signs), I, see signs): “The visual link between myself and the yellow signs enables me to see them.”
    • enables (MATCHING (cognitive information “C53”, environmental information “C53”), I, have confirmation): “It tells me it’s boarding C53, so I have confirmation about that.”

    SCALE

    This schema is based on the “more” or “less” aspect of human experience. People use the SCALE schema to understand quantitative amount and qualitative degree.
    • more (congestion): “The area around the duty-free shops seems to be a more congested area.”

    COLLECTION

    People experience COLLECTIONS as sums of individual objects. COLLECTIONS may form areas, such as a COLLECTION of gates forms a gate area. Groupings of similar destinations into zones facilitates wayfinding if these groupings are clearly identified (Arthur and Passini 1992).
    • COLLECTION (ticket counters): “All ticket counters are lined up in a row.”

    FRONT-BACK

    Although not included in Johnson’s list of image schemata, this seems to be an important orientational schema for wayfinding, e.g., “Having things always in front of me seems to be more useful.” and “If I don’t find the C, I go back and retrace myself.”
    • in front of (I, signs): “I can see the yellow signs in front of me.”
    • straight ahead (I, signs): “There are signs for A straight ahead.”

    VERTICALITY

    This image schema is also missing in Johnson’s list, but it is important for wayfinding in airports, because many signs are near the ceiling. The VERTICALITY schema is structured by two points and a vertical dimension in-between them.
    • VERTICALITY (signs, ceiling): “Signs hanging from the ceiling.”
    • above (signs, ticket counters): “There are signs above them (i.e., the ticket counters).”
    • stand up (pillar): “There is a pillar standing up.”

    IMAGE-SCHEMAS and DOLCE

    Image schemas are based on trajector and landmark.

    We propose to begin with mereotopology.

    By metaphor we can extend these schemas to DOLCE CONCEPTS.

    IMAGE-SCHEMAS and IPR (legal ontology)

    When the creation process is done. The result, the creation is conceptualised as a CONTAINER.

    CONTAINER <-------------------------------------------> Rights Creation (abstract domain)

    Just, we are going to put an example

    CONTAINER <-------------------------------------------> Hamlet Rights Creation

    Inside it, we have books, CDs, DVDs, theatre performance... These manifestations and expressions (see IPROnto) are inside the concept of Hamlet.

    If the author wants to give 'his/her container', in other words its creation, he/she must be compensanted because he/she is going to lose it as it happens in USA. This container is seen as an object for the Source Path Goal Schema, where performs the trajector object and goes from a source (creator) to a goal (RightsHolder). However in Europe is not the same case.

    The author does not lose his/her rights over the creation, because he/she allows others going in or going out in the container, however the creation is not seen as this Source Path Goal Schema. This is why the creator always has a relation with the creation, which we call: MoralRights. He never loses the rights boundary.

    This description explains why Rights are interpreted in a different way.