Validation of the Cardillo metaphorical package for testing neural hypotheses about metaphor and its comparison in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients and normal individuals

This study aimed to validate Cardillo's metaphorical package (2010) and its application to obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers and normal people.

The research was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the project involved the validation of the metaphor package from the point of view of experts. To this end, taking the study of Cardillo et al. (2010) into account, 208 basic words were selected and given to 40 evaluators. A total of 455 literal, conventional metaphorical, and novel metaphorical sentences were then compiled and evaluated by twelve experts. In the second phase, the sentences were examined among people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder and non-obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research was of the comparative causal type. The statistical population of the research included all patients diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder who were referred to Saba Clinic and Ibn Sina Hospital in Mashhad, and a comparison group of normal individuals selected via convenience sampling (20 people in each group). The data were analyzed using a one-sample t-test, Felis Kappa coefficient, intraclass correlation, and the analysis of variance.

The results indicated that there was a satisfactory level of agreement between the evaluators and there was an appropriate degree of intracategory correlation. Furthermore, the comparison of the normal individuals and people with obsessive-compulsive disorder revealed no significant differences in familiarity, imageability, and virtuality across all three groups of literal, conventional metaphorical, and novel metaphorical sentences.

The compiled metaphor package has a high level of content and criterion validity and can assist in identifying and determining the level of understanding of the dimensions of metaphors.