prikaz prve stranice dokumenta Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students
  Download
PDF 1.2 MB
master's thesis
Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students
Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2025. urn:nbn:hr:131:445202
Belamarić, Ena
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of English language and literature

Cite this document

Belamarić, E. (2025). Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students (Master's thesis). Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Retrieved from https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

Belamarić, Ena. "Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students." Master's thesis, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2025. https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

Belamarić, Ena. "Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students." Master's thesis, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2025. https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

Belamarić, E. (2025). 'Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students', Master's thesis, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, accessed 19 March 2025, https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

Belamarić E. Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students [Master's thesis]. Zagreb: University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2025 [cited 2025 March 19] Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

E. Belamarić, "Investigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students", Master's thesis, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb, 2025. Available at: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:131:445202

Please login to the repository to save this object to your list.
Metadata
TitleInvestigating Cognitive Strategies for Analyzing Conceptual Integration: A Comparison of English Major and Non-English Major Undergraduate Students
Title (croatian)Istraživanje kognitivnih strategija pri analizi konceptualne integracije: usporedba studenata preddiplomskog studija anglistike i studenata ostalih preddiplomskih studija
AuthorEna Belamarić
MentorRenata Geld (mentor)
Committee memberStela Letica Krevelj (predsjednik povjerenstva)
Committee memberNives Kovačić (član povjerenstva)
GranterUniversity of Zagreb
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
(Department of English language and literature)
Zagreb
Defense date and country2025-02-24, Croatia
Scientific / art field,
discipline and subdiscipline		HUMANISTIC SCIENCES
Philology
Anglistics
Abstract
This study explores how English major and non-English major undergraduate students differ in their ability to recognize input spaces of conceptual blends and explain the meaning contributed by individual input spaces, as well as their corresponding cognitive strategy use in meaning deconstruction. A comparative quantitative study was conducted with 72 native Croatian-speaking undergraduates at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, using a questionnaire assessing recognition and explanation of input spaces across five conceptual blends, and self-reported cognitive strategy use. The data were analyzed in phases. The preliminary statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistical methods, outlining general trends in the dataset. The analysis continued with assumption testing (Shapiro-Wilk and Levene’s tests), assessing normality and homogeneity of variance. Due to data not being normally distributed and unequal variance, the Mann-Whitney U test and Welch’s test were used for group comparison. The data analysis was completed with correlation analysis, using the Pearson correlation coefficient to measure the relationships between ESL study duration, recognition, explanation, and cognitive strategy use. Results of the data analysis showed that non-English majors performed better in input-space recognition than the English majors (M=9.16 vs. 8.09). At the same time, the latter demonstrated significantly higher explanation scores (M=7.17 vs. 5.73). English majors reported broader strategy use (M=22.74 vs. 18.11), with a statistically significant preference for mental imagery (p=0.04). The most frequently used strategies were elaboration and parsing, while the least used strategy was syntactic analysis. Paradoxically, longer ESL study duration correlated negatively with recognition scores (r=-0.35), contrary to the initial hypothesis. The disparity in recognition-explanation performance might be attributed to the groups’ difference in aptitude for different phases of the blending process: non-English majors excelled at composition-phase competencies, whereas English majors showed greater proficiency in elaboration-phase competencies, which would imply that specialized linguistic instruction enhances elaboration-phase competencies at the expense of composition-phase skills. However, the limitations of this study–including a homogenous sample and reliance on self-reported cognitive strategy data–require further research to corroborate these findings and examine potential causes.
Abstract (croatian)
Ovaj rad proučava razlike između studenata preddiplomskog studija engleskog jezika i studenata drugih studijskih smjerova u njihovoj sposobnosti prepoznavanja ulaznih prostora konceptualnih blendova, kao i značenja koja isti doprinose integriranom prostoru te upotrebi kognitivnih strategija prilikom dekonstrukcije značenja. Provedena je komparativna kvantitativna analiza sa 72 izvorna govornika hrvatskog jezika, studenta Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Instrument je bio upitnik koji je ocjenjivao prepoznavanje i objašnjenje ulaznih prostora kroz pet konceptualnih blendova te upotrebu kognitivnih strategija. Analiza podataka provedena je u etapama: preliminarna statistička analiza uključivala je deskriptivne statističke metode kako bi se utvrdili opći trendovi. Uslijedili su testovi pretpostavki (Shapiro-Wilkov test i Levenov test) za procjenu normalnosti i homogenosti varijance. Uslijed heterogenosti varijanci i nepostojanja normalne distribucije, za usporedbu skupina korišteni su Mann-Whitneyev U-test i Welchov test. Analiza podataka završena je korelacijskom analizom, pri čemu je Pearsonov korelacijski koeficijent korišten za mjerenje odnosa između duljine učenja engleskog jezika, sposobnosti prepoznavanja i objašnjenja ulaznih prostora konceptualnih blendova, kao i korištenja kognitivnih strategija. Studenti drugih studijskih grupa učestalije su prepoznavali ulazne prostore u usporedbi sa studentima engleskog jezika (M=9,16 naspram 8,09), dok su potonji značajno učestalije uspijevali smisleno obrazložiti značenje koje ulazni prostori doprinose integriranom prostoru (M=7,17 naspram 5,73). Studenti engleskog jezika koristili su siri spektar strategija (M=22,74 naspram 18,11), pri čemu su statistički značajno preferirali mentalne slike (p=0,04). Elaboracija i raščlanjivanje bile su najkorištenije, dok se sintaktička analiza pokazala najrjeđe korištenom strategijom. Unatoč početnoj hipotezi da će duljina učenja engleskog jezika pozitivno korelirati s prepoznavanjem ulaznih prostora, ta je korelacija ipak bila negativna (r=-0,35). Razlika u uspješnosti prepoznavanja i objašnjenja mogla bi se pripisati razlikama u pristupu dviju skupina različitim etapama konceptualne integracije: studenti drugih studijskih grupa postigli su veći uspjeh prilikom kompozicijske faze konceptualne integracije, dok su studenti engleskog jezika bili uspješniji elaboracijskoj fazi, ukazujući kako specijalizirano lingvističko obrazovanje poboljšava elaboracijske vještine nauštrb kompozicijskih. Međutim, ograničenja ovog rada, koja uključuju homogeni uzorak i oslanjanje na samoprijavljenu uporabu kognitivnih strategija, zahtijevaju daljnja istraživanja kako bi se ova opažanja potvrdila i dodatno istražili potencijalni uzroci.
Keywords
Keywords (croatian)
Languageenglish
URN:NBNurn:nbn:hr:131:445202
Study programmeTitle: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL
Course: TEFL
Study programme type: university
Study level: graduate
Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti)
Type of resourceText
File originBorn digital
Access conditionsOpen access
Terms of useLicence In copyright icon
RepositoryODRAZ
Created on2025-02-26 00:50:55

(©) Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica u Zagrebu 2015. Sva prava pridržana. | Hrvatske bratske zajednice 4 p.p. 550, 10000 Zagreb, Hrvatska Tel. ++ 385 1 616-4040
OIB: 84838770814 | IBAN: HR66 2340 0091 1000 1008 1, Porezni broj (PDV identifikacijski broj) - VAT Number: HR84838770814
Prijava u repozitorij