Mexican Spanish adaptation for the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW).

Abstract

This study adapts the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) dataset for Mexican Spanish, validating emotional dimensions in culturally relevant contexts. A total of 753 participants rated 1,028 translated words on valence, arousal, and dominance using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) scale. The adaptation ensured linguistic equivalence through iterative translation and consensus processes, selecting region-specific terms verified with the Corpus XXI of the Royal Spanish Academy. Split-half correlations confirmed high internal consistency across dimensions, demonstrating stable and reliable ratings within the Mexican sample. Cross-linguistic analyses revealed strong correlations between Mexican Spanish and norms for European Portuguese and Spanish, with moderate correlations to English norms, highlighting cultural and linguistic influences on emotional word ratings. Gender differences further provided insights into demographic factors affecting emotional word processing. These findings underscore the need for culturally specific adaptations in research, ensuring that affective norms align with regional language use and emotional perception. This study offers a methodological framework applicable to other linguistic and cultural contexts, enhancing the precision of cross-cultural research in affective science.