In this volume, originally published in 1977, the authors describe the relevance of figurative language for the psychology of language and present a methodological approach best described as naturalistic in orientation. The first section presents the idea of figurative language in terms of linguistic, aesthetic, and philosophical background. Also included is a description of empirical techniques used to assess figurative language and findings from an analysis of widely differing spoken and written contexts.

The second section of this volume deals with the occurrence and significance of figurative language within the specific context of psychotherapy. The use of such language is shown to be crucial in patient insight. The third section deals with children, their understanding and use of figurative expressions, specifically within the school. Here is a volume that was an outstanding addition to the literature at the time and still a valuable resource today.