The (in)accuracies of floating leaves: How people with varying experiences of dementia differently position the same visual metaphor

Abstract

Metaphors help shape the social world. Yet, with research and language guidelines focusing primarily on the stigmatising potential of verbal representations, much greater attention is needed regarding visual metaphors’ role in perpetuating and challenging particular views of dementia. Through semi-structured interviews and focus groups, this paper explores how people with dementia and their carers and/or loved ones evaluate one prevalent visual metaphor for dementia that maps autumnal trees losing leaves onto the brain/head. Analysis considers three main responses to the metaphor, that: (1) it does not depict dementia; (2) it meaningfully explains a biomedical account of progressive brain deterioration; and (3) it reinforces inaccurate and/or ‘hopeless’ discourses of what having dementia involves, with individuals suggesting creative alterations to better fit their counter discourses. These findings foreground the importance of attending to subjectivity, nuance and multi-layered discourses within visual metaphors, which can indirectly convey stigmatising representations.

Advocating for a dementia-inclusive visual communication

“…However, with the sand being washed away and eroded by the waves, the head disintegrates, thus implying the deterioration process of the brain. Our interview data reveal similar findings by Putland (2022) where her participants also agreed the visual metaphor of the tree (Figure 5(a)) echoes the biomedical account of brain deterioration but may reinforce the sense of hopelessness.…”