Physiognomic perception and metaphoric thinking in young children

We tested the relation between metaphoric thinking and physiognomic perception in young children (ages 4-7) in 2 studies. Physiognomic perception was assessed using M.A. Wallach and N. Kogan's (1965) Free Description of Stick Figures, and metaphoric thinking was assessed using the Kogan, Connor, Gross, and Fava (1980) Metaphoric Triads Task (MTr). Physiognomic perception scores were a good predictor of metaphoric thinking. Whereas a marked decrement in performance on the MTF was found on making the transition to Grade 1, the free-description test of physiognomic perception revealed that the children still retained high physiognomic abilities. We suggest that physiognomic competence is related to sensitivity to pressures to be "literal" in Grade 1.