Senang vs Pleased and Takut vs Scared: Valence Perception of Emotion Words by Indonesian-speaking Adolescents

Ricka Putri Suteja; Bernadette Kushartanti

Senang vs Pleased and Takut vs Scared: Valence Perception of Emotion Words by Indonesian-speaking Adolescents

Ricka Putri Suteja, Bernadette Kushartanti

Abstract

This study explored the valence of emotion words among Indonesian adolescents who were still learning English and examined how language proficiency influenced their perception of these words. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined quantitative data from questionnaires and qualitative insights from written interviews. Emotion words, senang and takut, were carefully selected from Indonesian written sources and paired with their English counterparts, pleased and scared. Participants were adolescents aged 14 to 19 residing in Jakarta and its surrounding areas, where Indonesian is still the dominant language in home and school environments. This study used online questionnaires (N = 433) and written interviews (N = 34) as instruments to reveal that the Indonesian emotion words senang and takut were consistently rated as having a higher emotional valence than their English counterparts. The difference was attributed to the participants’ greater familiarity and fluency in Indonesian, as their exposure to and use of English remained limited, primarily in academic settings. Language proficiency emerged as a factor shaping emotional perception, with higher ratings indicating a stronger emotional connection to words in the native language. The results indicate that the word meaning, frequency, and context of language use in daily life influence emotional responses to language. Overall, the study highlights the impact of linguistic familiarity on the emotional resonance of words, suggesting that bilingual individuals may perceive emotion words differently depending on their proficiency and exposure to each language. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how bilingualism and language dominance affect emotional cognition.

Keywords: valence; emotion words; adolescents; Indonesian; perception

ABSTRAK

Kajian ini menerokai valens perkataan emosi dalam kalangan remaja Indonesia yang sedang mempelajari bahasa Inggeris, serta mengkaji bagaimana tahap penguasaan bahasa mempengaruhi persepsi mereka terhadap perkataan tersebut. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan kaedah campuran, penyelidikan ini menggabungkan data kuantitatif daripada soal selidik dan temu bual bertulis. Perkataan emosi, "senang" dan "takut", telah dipilih dengan teliti daripada sumber bertulis bahasa Indonesia dan dipadankan dengan rakan setaranya dalam bahasa Inggeris, iaitu "pleased" dan "scared”. Peserta kajian terdiri daripada remaja berumur 14 hingga 19 tahun yang menetap di Jakarta dan kawasan sekitarnya, di mana bahasa Indonesia masih menjadi bahasa dominan di persekitaran rumah dan sekolah. Kajian ini menggunakan soal selidik dalam talian (n = 433) dan temu bual bertulis (n= 34) sebagai instrumen untuk mendedahkan bahawa perkataan emosi bahasa Indonesia, "senang" dan "takut", secara konsisten dinilai mempunyai valens emosi yang lebih tinggi berbanding rakan setaranya dalam bahasa Inggeris.Perbezaan ini dikaitkan dengan kebiasaan dan kefasihan peserta dalam bahasa Indonesia, dan juga pendedahan dan penggunaan bahasa Inggeris yang masih terhad, terutamanya dalam konteks akademik sahaja. Tahap penguasaan bahasa muncul sebagai faktor yang membentuk persepsi emosi, di mana penilaian yang lebih tinggi menunjukkan hubungan emosi yang lebih kuat terhadap perkataan dalam bahasa ibunda. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa makna perkataan, kekerapan, dan konteks penggunaan bahasa dalam kehidupan seharian mempengaruhi tindak balas emosi terhadap bahasa. Secara keseluruhan, kajian ini menekankan kesan kebiasaan linguistik terhadap resonans emosi sesuatu perkataan, serta mencadangkan bahawa individu dwibahasa mungkin menganggap perkataan emosi secara berbeza bergantung pada tahap penguasaan dan pendedahan mereka terhadap setiap bahasa. Dapatan ini menyumbang kepada pemahaman yang lebih luas tentang bagaimana kedwibahasaan dan dominasi bahasa mempengaruhi kognisi emosi.

Kata Kunci: valens; perkataan emosi; remaja; Bahasa Indonesia; persepsi

Keywords

valence; emotion words; adolescents; Indonesian; perception

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