The paper "Metaphors We Think With: The Role of Metaphor in Reasoning" by Paul H. Thibodeau and Lera Boroditsky explores how metaphors influence reasoning about complex social issues, particularly crime. Through five experiments, the authors investigate how subtle metaphors can shape people's problem-solving strategies and information gathering processes. They find that even the simplest metaphors can significantly affect how people approach social problems, such as crime, and that these effects are often covert, with participants not recognizing the influence of metaphors on their decisions. The study also reveals that different metaphors can lead to different solutions to social problems, such as treating crime as a virus versus a beast. Additionally, the authors show that metaphors can influence how people seek out information to support their decisions, suggesting a long-term impact on reasoning. The findings highlight the profound role of metaphors in shaping our conceptualization and action regarding societal issues.The paper "Metaphors We Think With: The Role of Metaphor in Reasoning" by Paul H. Thibodeau and Lera Boroditsky explores how metaphors influence reasoning about complex social issues, particularly crime. Through five experiments, the authors investigate how subtle metaphors can shape people's problem-solving strategies and information gathering processes. They find that even the simplest metaphors can significantly affect how people approach social problems, such as crime, and that these effects are often covert, with participants not recognizing the influence of metaphors on their decisions. The study also reveals that different metaphors can lead to different solutions to social problems, such as treating crime as a virus versus a beast. Additionally, the authors show that metaphors can influence how people seek out information to support their decisions, suggesting a long-term impact on reasoning. The findings highlight the profound role of metaphors in shaping our conceptualization and action regarding societal issues.