Recent studies suggest that similarity in emotional features and concreteness are critical cues underlying word association in native speakers. However, the lexical organization of a foreign language is less understood. This study aims to examine the structure of word associations within the mental lexicon of a foreign (English) and a native language. To this end, 145 native Spanish-speakers produced three lexical associates to cue words in both the foreign and native language. We observed that the associates were more neutrally valenced in the foreign language. Moreover, as cue words increased in their arousal, the produced associates were less arousing in the foreign language. Thus, the structure of these lexical associations could account for prior evidence of emotional detachment in foreign languages. Finally, as cues were more abstract, the foreign language associates were more abstract. Our findings revealed that the linguistic context modulated the lexical associations.

中文翻译：

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外语词汇关联的本质：效价、唤醒度和具体性

最近的研究表明，情感特征的相似性和具体性是母语人士中单词关联的关键线索。然而，对外语的词汇组织却知之甚少。本研究旨在检查外语（英语）和母语心理词典中单词关联的结构。为此，145 名以西班牙语为母语的人制作了三个词汇关联来提示外语和母语中的单词。我们观察到，同事对外语的态度更为中性。此外，随着提示词的唤起程度增加，所产生的外语联想的唤起程度也随之降低。因此，这些词汇关联的结构可以解释外语中情感脱离的先前证据。最后，由于线索更加抽象，外语同事也更加抽象。我们的研究结果表明，语言环境调节词汇关联。