An Experimental Analysis of the Affective Dimensions of Deep Vocabulary Knowledge Used in Inferring the Meaning of Words in Context

Abstract

This paper examines an under-studied component of deep vocabulary knowledge, affective meaning, which is used to convey attitudes. Two affective dimensions, evaluation and potency, are examined to determine whether they influence the vocabulary choices of native speakers of American-English in describing interpersonal interactions. In Experiment 1, 44 college students read sentences containing verbs that varied in class (experiencer or action), evaluation (positive or negative), and potency (high or low). These students were asked to choose adjectives to describe nouns filling the sentence thematic roles. In Experiment 2, 30 students chose sentence verbs, given sentences containing agents or stimuli and patients or experiencers with different levels of evaluation and potency. Students systematically used the evaluation and potency of the words to constrain their vocabulary choices. Results suggest that deep vocabulary knowledge includes subtle, affective aspects of word meaning, at least in some knowledge domains. These affective components are measurable, but they have not been systematically incorporated into assessment instruments that tap vocabulary depth. Affective components of vocabulary deserve more systematic attention in applied linguistics, because vocabulary depth is important for understanding the nature of vocabulary networks and for its contribution to proficiency in advanced L2 learners.