The effect of language status, immersion and cultural integration level on the emotionality of emotion words in Spanish

This study investigates how Spanish language users perceive (and indirectly process) positive and negative emotion words. More specifically, it examines whether the emotional associations of these words are affected by language status: Spanish as first (L1) or additional (LX) language. It also analy...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Pérez García, Elisa
Tipo de recurso: capítulo de libro
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Salamanca (USAL)
Repositorio:GREDOS. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Salamanca
OAI Identifier:oai:gredos.usal.es:10366/164879
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10366/164879
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Spanish
L1
LX
Emotion words
Valence
Arousal
Immersion
Culture
Integration
5701.11 Enseñanza de Lenguas
Descripción
Sumario:This study investigates how Spanish language users perceive (and indirectly process) positive and negative emotion words. More specifically, it examines whether the emotional associations of these words are affected by language status: Spanish as first (L1) or additional (LX) language. It also analyses whether immersion and cultural integration in Spanish culture influence the emotionality of these words in LX Spanish. The sample consisted of 200 Spanish L1 users and 91 Spanish LX users, with and without immersion and grouped into two different integration levels (medium and high). Participants completed a word rating task online, including negative and positive emotion words. They rated each Spanish word on the valence and arousal affective dimensions. According to statistical analyses, an L1 advantage emerged for positive emotion words in valence. In arousal, there was found an L1 advantage for positive emotion words and similar activation levels for negative emotions between L1 and LX. Overall, immersion and integration had a positive effect on word emotionality, to various degrees depending on the word type. Spanish LX users with immersion and higher levels of integration in the target culture perceived emotion words as more extremely emotional.