Abstract
Language and emotions are closely linked. However, previous research suggests that this link is stronger in a native language (L1) than in a second language (L2) that had been learned later in life. The present study investigates whether such reduced emotionality in L2 is reflected in changes in emotional memory and embodied responses to L2 in comparison to L1. Late Spanish/English bilinguals performed a memory task involving an encoding and a surprise retrieval phase. Facial motor resonance and skin conductance (SC) responses were recorded during encoding. The results give first indications that the enhanced memory for emotional vs. neutral content (EEM effect) is stronger in L1 and less present in L2. Furthermore, the results give partial support for decreased facial motor resonance and SC responses to emotional words in L2 as compared to L1. These findings suggest that embodied knowledge involved in emotional memory is associated to increased affective encoding and retrieval of L1 compared to L2.
Highlights
Theories of grounded, or embodied cognition propose that the role of the body goes well beyond that of an instrument by which our actions are realized
In a recent study (Baumeister et al, 2015), we extended this line of research by showing that blocking facial motor resonance during encoding or retrieval interferes with initial recognition of emotional words and impedes their later retrieval
The goal of the present study was to test the hypotheses derived from embodied cognition in the context of memory processes for emotional language in L1 and L2
Summary
Theories of grounded, or embodied cognition propose that the role of the body goes well beyond that of an instrument by which our actions are realized Instead, these theories argue that bodily processes contribute to our perception, feelings, thoughts, and behavior (for reviews, see Barsalou, 2008; Winkielman et al, 2015). The zygomaticus major muscle, involved in smiling, has been shown activate in response to positive stimuli, such as pictures and words (Larsen et al, 2003). This involuntary activation of mimetic muscles, sometimes called facial muscle resonance, can be measured by electromyography recordings (EMG) from probes placed directly above the facial muscle of interest (Cacioppo and Petty, 1981). The range of emotional stimuli to which the mimetic muscles automatically react includes facial expressions (e.g., Dimberg et al, 2000), emotional tone (Quené et al, 2012), as well as emotional words and sentences (e.g., Foroni and Semin, 2009, 2013; Davis et al, 2015; Foroni, 2015; Fino et al, 2016)
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