Seeing Isn’t Always Believing: Case Studies of Pictorial Metaphors in Cross-Cultural Communication

In the age of images, people are constantly bombarded with visual stimuli, leading to instances of deception. This article examines three pictorial metaphors through the lenses of semiotics and cognitive psychology. First, it provides a redefinition and recategorization of pictorial metaphors. Second, it delves into the mechanism of pictorial metaphors: association, which consists of relativity, similarity and proximity. Finally, it presents three key takeaways: First, it’s necessary for us to possess a visual literacy to adapt to the image-saturated era. Second, pictorial metaphor is a means to transfer emotions and attain emotional value. Third, it is crucial for us to maintain a critical awareness of visual narratives.