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Volume 25, Issue 4 (Winter 2024)
Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2024, 25(4): 1-16 |
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Zebardast J, Shoja Razavi S, Karami M, Ahmadi M H, Moradi A. The effectiveness of shared story reading on the understanding of embodiment metaphor in children with autism. Advances in Cognitive Sciences 2024; 25 (4) :1-16
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1553-en.html
URL: http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-1553-en.html
Jayran Zebardast1 
, Saeede Shoja Razavi2 , Mahdieh Karami3 , Mohammad Hadi Ahmadi4 , Alireza Moradi * 5
, Saeede Shoja Razavi2 , Mahdieh Karami3 , Mohammad Hadi Ahmadi4 , Alireza Moradi * 5
1- PhD Student of Cognitive Linguistics, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
2- Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Tourism (RICHT), Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Cognitive Linguistics, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
4- Assistant Professor, Kharazmi University Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran, Iran
5- Professor, Department of Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
2- Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Tourism (RICHT), Tehran, Iran
3- Assistant Professor, Department of Cognitive Linguistics, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
4- Assistant Professor, Kharazmi University Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Tehran, Iran
5- Professor, Department of Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (558 Views)
Introduction
Children suffering from ASD, despite having verbal and linguistic abilities, often find it challenging to grasp synonyms and metaphorical language, which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. They cannot successfully understand and use metaphorical expressions like normal children. The speech of these children shows that they understand and use grammar and language rules. However, they are unsuccessful in understanding metaphorical expressions and their use. For this purpose, the most basic metaphorical concepts were taught to these children with the help of collaborative story reading, and the efficiency of this knowledge was investigated in order to achieve better results. The present study is an attempt to answer the question of whether three- to five-year-old Persian-speaking children with the autistic disorder can understand and use embodied metaphors with the intervention of shared story-reading.
Methods
The present research method was interventional-analytical. This field research investigated Persian-speaking children from districts 1, 5, and 17 of Tehran, Iran. In this research, 20 Persian-speaking girls and boys aged three to five years, half of whom are ten girls and ten boys with an equal number of self-esteem disorders (with high functioning), were the statistical population of the research. Children were divided into two groups, control, and intervention, for better investigation. In shared story reading, 20 original stories were designed with metaphorical expressions taken from Shoja Razavi ey al’s research (2015) and ten disturbing agent stories (without metaphorical expressions). During ten face-to-face sessions, these stories were presented to healthy and independent children employing a talking doll. Children in the control group were only given disturbing stories, but children in the intervention group received 30 stories (20 main and ten disturbing stories) during ten story reading sessions. Before story reading, after story reading, and 40 days after the intervention, the children of the control and intervention groups asked for metaphorical expressions with double cards taken from Shoja Razavi’s research (2015). The physical fitness test was scored based on the answers to the double cards according to Shoja Razavi et al.’s scoring method (2015). Finally, children’s learning and acceptance level after the shared story-reading course is investigated. In the last stage, the statistical data were analyzed through non-parametric analysis, and the effect of repeated measurements was tested using the Chi2 test in SPSS-24 software.
Results
Three to 5-year-old healthy and independent children performed better in understanding the abstract concepts of embodied metaphors through the shared story-reading program. Furthermore, after the program’s implementation, the scores of high-performing self-retained children in the post-test were significantly better than in the pre-test. These findings show that shared story reading can increase thses children’s understanding of bodily metaphors.
Conclusion
The results of the tests show that the shared story-reading intervention positively affects the understanding of the metaphors of taste, smell, color, touch, shape, sound, movement, and speed in independent children. In general, the shared intervention can significantly improve the understanding of bodily metaphors in children aged 3-5 years. The results of three- to four-year-old children left alone in the group receiving the intervention of taste (72.5%), color (72.5%), smell (40%), shape (55%), size (45%), movement (70%), speed (55%) %), object (62.5%), sound (30%), and touch (55%) were reported. Results of four- to five-year-old children left alone in the group receiving the intervention, taste (80%), color (80%), smell (62.5%), shape (75%), size (70%), movement (75%), speed (65%), object (70%), sound (45%), and touch (65%) were reported. As it was observed, in addition to shared story reading, age is also seen as an effective factor in understanding embodied metaphorical expressions; in other words, a better understanding of metaphors requires more cognitive development at older ages.
Ethical Consideration
The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS) (IR.UT.IRICSS.REC.1401.043). Ethical considerations for this study included obtaining written consent from all participants and providing sufficient information to the parents about the research. We ensured compliance with ethical guidelines throughout the study.
Authors’ contributions
All three authors designed and prepared the study. The first author conducted data analysis and prepared the text of the article. The second author performed data collection and preparation, and the third, fourth, and fifth authors were responsible for the final review of the work.
Funding
This manuscript did not receive any funding.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants participating in this study.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest
Children suffering from ASD, despite having verbal and linguistic abilities, often find it challenging to grasp synonyms and metaphorical language, which can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. They cannot successfully understand and use metaphorical expressions like normal children. The speech of these children shows that they understand and use grammar and language rules. However, they are unsuccessful in understanding metaphorical expressions and their use. For this purpose, the most basic metaphorical concepts were taught to these children with the help of collaborative story reading, and the efficiency of this knowledge was investigated in order to achieve better results. The present study is an attempt to answer the question of whether three- to five-year-old Persian-speaking children with the autistic disorder can understand and use embodied metaphors with the intervention of shared story-reading.
Methods
The present research method was interventional-analytical. This field research investigated Persian-speaking children from districts 1, 5, and 17 of Tehran, Iran. In this research, 20 Persian-speaking girls and boys aged three to five years, half of whom are ten girls and ten boys with an equal number of self-esteem disorders (with high functioning), were the statistical population of the research. Children were divided into two groups, control, and intervention, for better investigation. In shared story reading, 20 original stories were designed with metaphorical expressions taken from Shoja Razavi ey al’s research (2015) and ten disturbing agent stories (without metaphorical expressions). During ten face-to-face sessions, these stories were presented to healthy and independent children employing a talking doll. Children in the control group were only given disturbing stories, but children in the intervention group received 30 stories (20 main and ten disturbing stories) during ten story reading sessions. Before story reading, after story reading, and 40 days after the intervention, the children of the control and intervention groups asked for metaphorical expressions with double cards taken from Shoja Razavi’s research (2015). The physical fitness test was scored based on the answers to the double cards according to Shoja Razavi et al.’s scoring method (2015). Finally, children’s learning and acceptance level after the shared story-reading course is investigated. In the last stage, the statistical data were analyzed through non-parametric analysis, and the effect of repeated measurements was tested using the Chi2 test in SPSS-24 software.
Results
Three to 5-year-old healthy and independent children performed better in understanding the abstract concepts of embodied metaphors through the shared story-reading program. Furthermore, after the program’s implementation, the scores of high-performing self-retained children in the post-test were significantly better than in the pre-test. These findings show that shared story reading can increase thses children’s understanding of bodily metaphors.
Conclusion
The results of the tests show that the shared story-reading intervention positively affects the understanding of the metaphors of taste, smell, color, touch, shape, sound, movement, and speed in independent children. In general, the shared intervention can significantly improve the understanding of bodily metaphors in children aged 3-5 years. The results of three- to four-year-old children left alone in the group receiving the intervention of taste (72.5%), color (72.5%), smell (40%), shape (55%), size (45%), movement (70%), speed (55%) %), object (62.5%), sound (30%), and touch (55%) were reported. Results of four- to five-year-old children left alone in the group receiving the intervention, taste (80%), color (80%), smell (62.5%), shape (75%), size (70%), movement (75%), speed (65%), object (70%), sound (45%), and touch (65%) were reported. As it was observed, in addition to shared story reading, age is also seen as an effective factor in understanding embodied metaphorical expressions; in other words, a better understanding of metaphors requires more cognitive development at older ages.
Ethical Consideration
The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS) (IR.UT.IRICSS.REC.1401.043). Ethical considerations for this study included obtaining written consent from all participants and providing sufficient information to the parents about the research. We ensured compliance with ethical guidelines throughout the study.
Authors’ contributions
All three authors designed and prepared the study. The first author conducted data analysis and prepared the text of the article. The second author performed data collection and preparation, and the third, fourth, and fifth authors were responsible for the final review of the work.
Funding
This manuscript did not receive any funding.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants participating in this study.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no potential conflict of interest
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2023/05/24 | Accepted: 2023/09/7 | Published: 2024/04/22
Received: 2023/05/24 | Accepted: 2023/09/7 | Published: 2024/04/22
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