TY - BOOK

T1 - The Dynamics of Time Conceptualisation among Young Chinese Adult Students

T2 - Evidence from temporal focus and implicit space-time mapping

AU - Su, Rui

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - This research investigates the interplay between language, embodiment, and cognition, specifically focusing on the dynamics of time conceptualisation. The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that language shapes its speakers’ perception and cognition of the world. However, the hypothesis does not account for the phenomenon in which linguistic representations are not always in line with time conceptualisation (e.g., speakers of Darija, the variety of Arabic spoken in Morocco, use future-in-front metaphors, such as “masiro chababi ila l amam/young people have the future ahead”, but think of the past as ahead). Tobridge this gap, de la Fuente et al. (2014) proposed the temporal focus hypothesis (TFH). The TFH suggests that people’s (non-linguistic) implicit space-time mapping along the front-back axis is influenced by their temporal focus. According to embodiment (i.e., WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS IN FRONT), people are prone to place what they value most within sight. Individuals focusing on the future and progress tend to map the future as being ahead, while those concentrating on the past and traditions conceptualise the past in a frontal position. Crucially, a person’s temporal focus may depend on culture, individual embodiment, and moment-to-moment priming. This dissertation reassesses the generalisability of the TFH, focusing on young Chinese adults. The first experiment examined COVID-related quarantine as a contextual priming factor and precautionary attitudes towards COVID-19 as an individual difference, investigating their respective impacts on the temporal focus and front-backmapping of Chinese students. The second experiment primed participants with different metaphorical textual expressions, recording their reaction times (RTs) to assess whether metaphorical textual priming could alter one’s temporal focus, front-back mapping, or even their RTs. The third experiment involved auditory stimuli from frontal or back positions relative to the participant, exploring the impact of situational embodiment on temporal focus, front-back mapping, and RTs. Overall, both contextual priming (i.e., quarantine status) and experimental priming (i.e., metaphorical textual priming and auditory position priming) didnot influence the temporal focus or front-back mapping of young Chinese adults. Instead, this population exhibited a preference for a future-focused mindset and future-in-front space-time mapping, indicative of a pattern within Chinese culture. Additionally, this research revealed that individual differences (i.e., precautionary attitudes towards COVID-19) could influence one’s past-future disposition but not value-free space-time mapping, that is, not based onpersonal judgments or evaluations. Unexpectedly, the research found that participants’ implicit mapping choices, but not their temporal focus, might vary based on their levels of caution in decision-making on the task, as indicated by the length of RTs.This thesis casts doubt on the generalisability of the TFH, as it found no correlation between temporal focus and implicit space-time mapping, contradicting previous studies. It clarifies the conceptualisation of time and the dispositional patterns of the past and future among young Chinese adults. The findings suggest that the dynamics of time conceptualisation may be limited in the range of priming conditions. Although language and embodied experiences can trigger short-term sensory responses, they may not be sufficient to affect long-term conceptual changes.

AB - This research investigates the interplay between language, embodiment, and cognition, specifically focusing on the dynamics of time conceptualisation. The linguistic relativity hypothesis suggests that language shapes its speakers’ perception and cognition of the world. However, the hypothesis does not account for the phenomenon in which linguistic representations are not always in line with time conceptualisation (e.g., speakers of Darija, the variety of Arabic spoken in Morocco, use future-in-front metaphors, such as “masiro chababi ila l amam/young people have the future ahead”, but think of the past as ahead). Tobridge this gap, de la Fuente et al. (2014) proposed the temporal focus hypothesis (TFH). The TFH suggests that people’s (non-linguistic) implicit space-time mapping along the front-back axis is influenced by their temporal focus. According to embodiment (i.e., WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS IN FRONT), people are prone to place what they value most within sight. Individuals focusing on the future and progress tend to map the future as being ahead, while those concentrating on the past and traditions conceptualise the past in a frontal position. Crucially, a person’s temporal focus may depend on culture, individual embodiment, and moment-to-moment priming. This dissertation reassesses the generalisability of the TFH, focusing on young Chinese adults. The first experiment examined COVID-related quarantine as a contextual priming factor and precautionary attitudes towards COVID-19 as an individual difference, investigating their respective impacts on the temporal focus and front-backmapping of Chinese students. The second experiment primed participants with different metaphorical textual expressions, recording their reaction times (RTs) to assess whether metaphorical textual priming could alter one’s temporal focus, front-back mapping, or even their RTs. The third experiment involved auditory stimuli from frontal or back positions relative to the participant, exploring the impact of situational embodiment on temporal focus, front-back mapping, and RTs. Overall, both contextual priming (i.e., quarantine status) and experimental priming (i.e., metaphorical textual priming and auditory position priming) didnot influence the temporal focus or front-back mapping of young Chinese adults. Instead, this population exhibited a preference for a future-focused mindset and future-in-front space-time mapping, indicative of a pattern within Chinese culture. Additionally, this research revealed that individual differences (i.e., precautionary attitudes towards COVID-19) could influence one’s past-future disposition but not value-free space-time mapping, that is, not based onpersonal judgments or evaluations. Unexpectedly, the research found that participants’ implicit mapping choices, but not their temporal focus, might vary based on their levels of caution in decision-making on the task, as indicated by the length of RTs.This thesis casts doubt on the generalisability of the TFH, as it found no correlation between temporal focus and implicit space-time mapping, contradicting previous studies. It clarifies the conceptualisation of time and the dispositional patterns of the past and future among young Chinese adults. The findings suggest that the dynamics of time conceptualisation may be limited in the range of priming conditions. Although language and embodied experiences can trigger short-term sensory responses, they may not be sufficient to affect long-term conceptual changes.

U2 - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2740

DO - 10.17635/lancaster/thesis/2740

M3 - Doctoral Thesis

PB - Lancaster University

ER -