Structure mapping in analogy and similarity.

1997/01/01 by Dedre Gentner, Arthur B. Markman · 6 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · Computer Science · #Child and Animal Learning Development #Language and cultural evolution #Cognitive Science and Mapping #Analogy #Similarity (geometry) #Psychology #Cognitive psychology #Epistemology #Computer science #Artificial intelligence #Philosophy

paper · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.52.1.45

openalex publication_date 1997/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Analogy and similarity are often assumed to be distinct psychological processes. In contrast to this position, the authors suggest that both similarity and analogy involve a process of structural alignment and mapping, that is, that similarity is like analogy. In this article, the authors first describe the structure-mapping process as it has been worked out for analogy. Then, this view is extended to similarity, where it is used to generate new predictions. Finally, the authors explore broader implications of structural alignment for psychological processing.

Citations

• Structure‐Mapping: A Theoretical Framework for Analogy*
• Cognition and Categorization
• Features of similarity.
• The structure-mapping engine: Algorithm and examples

Cited by

• Assessing the Effect of Cross-Domain Mapping on Creativity in Humans and Large Language Models
• Extending the Competition Model
• More Similar but Less Satisfying
• CBR with Commonsense Reasoning and Structure Mapping: An Application to Mediation
• Construals of iconicity: experimental approaches to form–meaning resemblances in language
• Similarity (psychology) [wikipedia]