Blending - Definition and Overview

Conceptual Blending is a theory of cognition[1]. According to the Theory of Conceptual Blending, elements and vital relations from diverse scenarios are "blended" in a subconscious process. This process is known as Conceptual Blending, and is assumed to be ubiquitous to everyday thought and language. Insights obtained from these blends constitute the products of creative thinking.

The Theory of Conceptual Blending was developed by Gilles Fauconnier and Mark Turner. The development of this theory began in 1993, and is presented in their book The Way We Think (ISBN 0465087868). This theory is based on basic ideas advanced by George Lakoff in his book Women Fire and Dangerous Things. It also related to the SOAR and ACT-R cognitive architecture theories, and to frame-based theories of Marvin Minsky, Jaime Carbonell and others.

Notes

[1]No single cognitive theory has yet been able to replicate the phenomena of human cognition.

See also

• Cognitive psychology
• Resources on Conceptual Blending
• Embodied philosophy
• Conceptual metaphor

• The Center for the Cognitive Science of Metaphor Online (http://zakros.ucsd.edu/~trohrer/metaphor/metaphor.htm) is a collection of numerous formative articles in the fields of conceptual metaphor and conceptual blending (aka conceptual integration).

Example Usage of Blending