Word valence and its effects
-
Ad Foolen
Abstract
Cognitive science underwent an ‘emotional turn’ in recent years. Besides the rational part of the brain, the ‘other half of the human mind’ (see Parisi 2011) is now taken into consideration as well. Linguistics, with its strong orientation and links to cognitive science, cannot neglect this development and has to ask itself in which way emotions should play a role in theories about language (cf. Foolen 2012). The present paper intends to give an overview of recent research in psychology and linguistics on emotive expressivity in language. In the first section, we will discuss the emotive-expressive function of language in relation to the descriptive, referential function. In Section 2, we will have a look at research on emotion-laden words (‘valence’), both in L1 and L2. Then, in Section 3, we will shift the attention from content words to function words, to intensifiers in particular. Section 4 takes a short look at expressive elements on other linguistic levels (phonology, morphology, syntax), and Section 5 rounds off this paper.
Abstract
Cognitive science underwent an ‘emotional turn’ in recent years. Besides the rational part of the brain, the ‘other half of the human mind’ (see Parisi 2011) is now taken into consideration as well. Linguistics, with its strong orientation and links to cognitive science, cannot neglect this development and has to ask itself in which way emotions should play a role in theories about language (cf. Foolen 2012). The present paper intends to give an overview of recent research in psychology and linguistics on emotive expressivity in language. In the first section, we will discuss the emotive-expressive function of language in relation to the descriptive, referential function. In Section 2, we will have a look at research on emotion-laden words (‘valence’), both in L1 and L2. Then, in Section 3, we will shift the attention from content words to function words, to intensifiers in particular. Section 4 takes a short look at expressive elements on other linguistic levels (phonology, morphology, syntax), and Section 5 rounds off this paper.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Theory
- The developmental psychology and neuropsychology of emotion in language 3
- Primal emotions and cultural evolution of language: 27
- Emotion on board 49
- The origins of emotion and language from the perspective of developmental neuropsychology 69
- Language and emotion in Merleau-Ponty 99
- Enkinaesthetic polyphony: 113
- Emotion in language 135
- Language and emotion 157
- Prosodic clustering in speech: From emotional to semantic processes 175
- Embodied language and the process of language learning and teaching 191
-
Research
- Research on the relationship between language and emotion - A descriptive overview 211
- Word valence and its effects 241
- The occurrence of idioms in the emotion lexicon of children 257
- "Without language, everything is chaos and confusion ..." 273
- Giving horror a name 289
- Mediated emotions 305
- Silences as a linguistic strategy Remarks on the role of the unsaid in romantic relationships on the internet 325
-
Application
- Gradients of plasticity 343
- Mood, aphasia, and affective language comprehension 367
- What words can’t tell: 399
- Affective and internal state language in high-functioning autism 421
- Epilogue 445
- Index 453
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
-
Theory
- The developmental psychology and neuropsychology of emotion in language 3
- Primal emotions and cultural evolution of language: 27
- Emotion on board 49
- The origins of emotion and language from the perspective of developmental neuropsychology 69
- Language and emotion in Merleau-Ponty 99
- Enkinaesthetic polyphony: 113
- Emotion in language 135
- Language and emotion 157
- Prosodic clustering in speech: From emotional to semantic processes 175
- Embodied language and the process of language learning and teaching 191
-
Research
- Research on the relationship between language and emotion - A descriptive overview 211
- Word valence and its effects 241
- The occurrence of idioms in the emotion lexicon of children 257
- "Without language, everything is chaos and confusion ..." 273
- Giving horror a name 289
- Mediated emotions 305
- Silences as a linguistic strategy Remarks on the role of the unsaid in romantic relationships on the internet 325
-
Application
- Gradients of plasticity 343
- Mood, aphasia, and affective language comprehension 367
- What words can’t tell: 399
- Affective and internal state language in high-functioning autism 421
- Epilogue 445
- Index 453
