Associative Experiments as a Tool to Construct Dictionary Entries

Page 675-683
Author Ksenia S. Kardanova-Biryukova
Title Associative Experiments as a Tool to Construct Dictionary Entries
Abstract Associative experiments have been used in psychology and psycholinguistics for over a hundred years and have proven to be an efficient tool in identifying those components of a cognitive structure which are relevant for a contemporary language user and arranging them into a hierarchy. We argue that the findings obtained through such an experimental approach can serve as the basis for compiling a dictionary entry that reflects the language in use now and does not lag behind by failing to depict changes in the semantic structure of a word or modifications in its use. To demonstrate how it works we have considered a rather complex notion of empire and its representation in the linguistic consciousness of Russian and American English native speakers. Relying on the findings of the associative experiment held with 148 Americans and 434 Russians we suggest ways of drafting dictionary entries that would reflect those semantic components which are relevant for language users given the current political and economic environment.
Session VARIOUS TOPICS
Keywords associative experiment, modelling cognitive structures, stimulus and reaction
BibTex 
@InProceedings{ELX2018-055,
	author={Ksenia S. Kardanova-Biryukova},
	title={Associative Experiments as a Tool to Construct Dictionary Entries},
	pages={675-683},
	booktitle={Proceedings of the XVIII EURALEX International Congress: Lexicography in Global Contexts},
	year={2018},
	month={jul},
	date={17-21},
	address={Ljubljana, Slovenia},
	editor={Jaka Čibej, Vojko Gorjanc, Iztok Kosem, Simon Krek},
	publisher={Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts},
	isbn={978-961-06-0097-8}, }
Download