Inclusive and Socio-Emotional Education Through Metaphor

Metaphor has evolved from being considered a merely linguistic resource to a basic mechanism in human cognition that links cognition and action. In this sense, in addition to being a way of thinking, it constitutes an educational tool that allows us to understand complex phenomena in terms of something simpler and more accessible, even at the perceptual or motor level. Thus, it has allowed us to work on curricular concepts in the classroom and on competencies such as socio-emotional and inclusive skills. Although there are studies that analyze the role of metaphors that conceive guilt as dirt or moral indignation as disgust, they have always been projected toward oneself. This work, through an experiment, analyzes the role of the metaphor of guilt as dirt, but projected toward others. Two experimental conditions are compared in which one protagonist helps another or takes advantage of them. The results indicate that when other people consider the behavior of that protagonist, they rate gifts related to cleanliness as more desirable when that protagonist has taken advantage of the other person. The social and educational implications of this metaphor are discussed for promoting more inclusive classroom environments and for teacher training in socio-emotional and inclusive skills.