In linguistics, there are only few studies that investigate the correlation between emotion and language since language and cognition were treated as autonomous systems. One of the few books that puts an emphasis on this topic and analyses it in detail is Monika Schwarz-Friesel’s "Sprache und Emotion" published in 2012.
The paper proves that in some situations, anger definitely influences accentuation. Hence, epithets which behave like a pronoun and therefore refer to a previously mentioned DP are accentuated in many cases, since it was uttered by an angry person.
People are loving, suffering, and reflective human beings, because they have feelings. Emotions and feelings are reflected in all areas of existential human experience. With language, we express our subjective feelings. Thus, the relation between language and emotion is an important phenomenon, especially in the interpretation of the mediated. This area, however, has been excluded for long from linguistics and cognitive science investigation because they saw language and cognition as autonomous systems that were not heavily influenced by emotions.
However, it is generally believed that the universal ability to primary emotions are innate. Basic emotions, such as happiness, anger, disgust, fear, contempt, and sadness can be recognized and expressed by people in all cultures. These emotions occur relatively short and intense
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For some years now, as Schwarz-Friesel describes, there is an “emotional turn“ (ibid.). Emotions are now regarded as determinative parts of cognitive states and processes. Particularly in the area of language processing —both production and reception of linguistic utterances— shows the influence of language on cognitive processes (cf. Schwarz-Friesel 2 ff.). With (linguistic) utterances, emotions are expressed and named, aroused or intensified (cf. Schwarz-Friesel 6).
In this paper, I want to investigate the following hypothesis: When a speaker is angry, s/he puts an emphasis not only on the verb but also on the epithet which has a negative connotation (e.g. masseur - torturer) or even is an insult (e.g. boss - idiot). Hence, the aim of this paper is to show that in selected examples, the referential DP (the epithet), which is already given, is stressed.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Approaches/ Studies on focus
2.1. Basic Notions of Information Structure, Manfred Krifka (2008)
2.2. Types of Focus in English, Carlos Gussenhoven (2008)
2.3. Givenness, AvoidF and Other Constraints on the Placement of Accent, Roger Schwarzschild (1999)
2.4. Sprache und Emotion, Monika Schwarz-Friesel (2012)
3. Empirical Investigation
3.1. Hypothesis
3.2. Design
3.3. Results and Evaluation
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to investigate whether intense emotions, specifically anger, influence the accentuation of referential expressions within a sentence. While traditional linguistics often treats language as an autonomous cognitive system, this study explores the hypothesis that angry speakers deviate from standard accentuation rules by placing stress on negatively connoted epithets, even when these are discourse-given.
- Interaction between emotion and language processing
- Theoretical frameworks of information structure and focus placement
- Empirical analysis of prosodic patterns in angry speech
- The role of epithets and insulting terms in intonation
- Comparison of accentuation across different native speakers
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
People are loving, suffering, and reflective human beings, because they have feelings. Emotions and feelings are reflected in all areas of existential human experience. With language, we express our subjective feelings. Thus, the relation between language and emotion is an important phenomenon, especially in the interpretation of the mediated. This area, however, has been excluded for long from linguistics and cognitive science investigation because they saw language and cognition as autonomous systems that were not heavily influenced by emotions (cf. Schwarz-Friesel 1). However, it is generally believed that the universal ability to primary emotions are innate. Basic emotions, such as happiness, anger, disgust, fear, contempt, and sadness can be recognized and expressed by people in all cultures. These emotions occur relatively short and intense (Ehrhardt and Pohl 10).
For some years now, as Schwarz-Friesel describes, there is an “emotional turn“ (ibid.). Emotions are now regarded as determinative parts of cognitive states and processes. Particularly in the area of language processing —both production and reception of linguistic utterances— shows the influence of language on cognitive processes (cf. Schwarz-Friesel 2 ff.). With (linguistic) utterances, emotions are expressed and named, aroused or intensified (cf. Schwarz-Friesel 6).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the intersection of language and emotion, highlighting the recent shift in cognitive science to recognize their symbiosis.
2. Theoretical Approaches/ Studies on focus: This section reviews existing linguistic frameworks regarding information structure, focusing on Krifka’s packaging, Gussenhoven’s types of focus, Schwarzschild’s constraints, and Schwarz-Friesel’s research on emotion.
3. Empirical Investigation: This chapter outlines the methodology of recording native speakers under the instruction to act angry and presents an analysis of their resulting intonation contours.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the findings, suggesting that anger can indeed lead to the accentuation of otherwise unaccented epithets, thereby challenging traditional linguistic rules.
Keywords
Information Structure, Emotion, Anger, Accentuation, Focus, Epithets, Referential DP, Intonation, Prosody, Linguistic Processing, Givenness, Cognitive Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines the relationship between human emotions, specifically anger, and linguistic accentuation, investigating whether emotional states cause speakers to deviate from standard prosodic patterns.
What are the central thematic fields?
The research combines syntax and information structure with the psychology of emotions, focusing on how prosody serves as an indicator of emotive states.
What is the primary hypothesis?
The author hypothesizes that when a speaker is angry, they emphasize not only the verb but also negatively connoted or insulting epithets that would otherwise be considered "given" and unaccented.
Which scientific methods were used?
The study utilizes a qualitative empirical approach, involving the recording of three native English speakers who were instructed to read sentences while adopting an angry persona, followed by an analysis of the recordings using the software Praat.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section moves from a theoretical overview of focus theories to an experimental design where speakers perform specific sentences, followed by a detailed analysis of pitch contours.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Information Structure, Emotion, Anger, Accentuation, Focus, Epithets, and Prosody.
How does the author define epithets?
The author adopts the definition by Patel-Grosz (2014), describing epithets as anaphoric expressions that include a negative or positive evaluative component alongside a nominal and a determiner.
Does the experimental data support the initial hypothesis?
The data shows mixed results: in some sentences, the epithets were accented as predicted, while in others they were not, leading the author to conclude that while a primary stress might not always be present, a secondary accent is frequently observed.
What role do "Givenness" constraints play in this study?
The author challenges Schwarzschild’s "GIVENness" constraint, which suggests that discourse-given referential expressions cannot be F-marked, by showing that anger can induce stress on these specific constituents.
Why was it difficult to collect the data?
The author noted the difficulty of eliciting authentic anger in an experimental setting, as participants often struggled to sound "angry enough" on command without external provocation.
- Quote paper
- Fatma Polat (Author), 2016, Does Anger Influence Accentuation?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/337967
