Experiencing Emotion across Languages: A Pilot Study of Spanish-English Bilinguals' Responses to Emotion-Laden Vignettes

Abstract

Emotion-laden words elicit varying degrees of emotionality in bilinguals, with a stronger reaction typically occurring in the first language. Less known is how emotion-laden situations presented in one language or the other may be experienced by bilinguals, or whether these situations may be experienced differently in bilinguals with varying language proficiency or informal translation (brokering) experience. This was examined in the present study. A total of 110 adult Spanish-English bilinguals classified in terms of frequency of brokering (high vs. low) and in degree of bilingualism (Spanish-dominant, English-dominant, or balanced bilinguals) rated emotions depicted in 16 vignettes (6 positive, 6 negative, and 4 neutral) presented in Spanish or English. Across languages and groups, ratings of how well the vignettes conveyed a designated emotion were significantly higher for the emotion-laden vignettes (positive or negative) than for neutral ones. Perceived valence of each vignette type showed no effect of language dominance or vignette language. However, an interaction of brokering experience and vignette language was found for positive vignettes. The interaction revealed that for bilinguals with high brokering experience positive vignettes were perceived as more positive in Spanish than in English. Furthermore, low-brokering participants rated English positive vignettes as more positive than high-brokering bilinguals. The findings suggest that frequency of brokering experience may enhance bilinguals’ sensitivity to emotional experiences in Spanish for high brokers as portrayed through the Spanish vignettes. Alternatively, low frequency of brokering is associated with greater sensitivity to emotional experiences in English. More broadly, this research points to the relevance of including language brokering as a dimension in studies of bilingualism and emotion.