The Role of Emotional Intonation in Resolving Semantic Ambiguity
Research Article
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The Role of Emotional Intonation in Resolving Semantic Ambiguity

Yifan Lin 1*
1 UWMadison
*Corresponding author: Lin737917@gmail.com
Published on 26 November 2025
Volume Cover
LNEP Vol.122
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-553-0
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-554-7
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Abstract

Semantic ambiguity is a common phenomenon in natural language. In observations of natural language, a sentence or word often has more than one meaning; multiple interpretations are common. After language training, normal individuals can eliminate ambiguity in dialogue by relying on context and prosodic features. Among these cues provided to normal listeners, emotional tone, as a special type of prosodic information, can influence listeners' comprehension preferences when context is insufficient or multiple interpretations exist. The positive or negative impact depends on the expression of emotion in different cultures. This study aims to observe the role of emotional tone in eliminating semantic ambiguity through a behavioral experiment based on eye tracking. Participants in the experiment listened to ambiguous sentences with different emotional tones and were asked to choose the interpretation that best matched their understanding from multiple options. This comprehension was then compared with the original meaning to determine its correctness. The results showed that emotional tone significantly influenced semantic interpretation. In the experiment, a positive tone was more likely to lead listeners to choose positive interpretations, while a negative tone increased the likelihood of choosing negative interpretations. The effect of negative emotion was more significant. These findings suggest that affective intonation not only conveys emotional information in dialogue but also serves as an important auxiliary cue for semantic processing in cognition. This discovery contributes to a deeper understanding of the interaction between emotion and language.

Keywords:

affective intonation, semantic ambiguity, prosody, psycholinguistics, spoken language comprehension

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Lin,Y. (2025). The Role of Emotional Intonation in Resolving Semantic Ambiguity. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,122,17-22.

References

[1]. Liu M., Chen Y., Schiller N.O. (2022) Context Matters for Tone and Intonation Processing in Mandarin. Lang Speech. Mar; 65(1): 52-72.

[2]. Imbir K.K., Jurkiewicz G., Duda-Goławska J., Pastwa M., Żygierewicz J. (1981) The N400/FN400 and Lateralized Readiness Potential Neural Correlates of Valence and Origin of Words' Affective Connotations in Ambiguous Task Processing. Front Psychol. Oct 30.

[3]. Indah Peronika Siahaan, & Damanik, B. A. R. (2025). The Role of Semantic Ambiguity in Communication and Misunderstanding. Young Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(2), 178–186.

[4]. James A.N., Minnihan C.J., Watson D.G. (2023) Language Experience Predicts Eye Movements During Online Auditory Comprehension. J Cogn. Jun 28; 6(1): 30.

[5]. Sauter D.A., Eisner F., Ekman P., Scott S.K. (2010) Cross-cultural recognition of basic emotions through nonverbal emotional vocalizations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Feb 9; 107(6): 2408-12.

[6]. Swets B., Kurby C.A. (2016) Eye Movements Reveal the Influence of Event Structure on Reading Behavior. Cogn Sci. Mar; 40(2): 466-80.

[7]. Kim Y., Sidtis D.V.L., Sidtis J.J. (2021) Emotional Nuance Enhances Verbatim Retention of Written Materials. Front Psychol. Jun 14; 12: 519729.

[8]. Liu L., Götz A., Lorette P., Tyler M.D. (2022) How Tone, Intonation and Emotion Shape the Development of Infants' Fundamental Frequency Perception. Front Psychol. Jun 3; 13: 906848.

[9]. Yomna Waly, Craig G. Chambers, Susan A. Graham. (2025) Preschoolers’ use of emotional prosody in an unfamiliar language. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Volume 253, 106190.

[10]. Vehlen A., Spenthof I., Tönsing D., Heinrichs M., Domes G. (2021) Evaluation of an eye tracking setup for studying visual attention in face-to-face conversations. Sci Rep. Jan 29; 11(1): 2661.

References

[1]. Liu M., Chen Y., Schiller N.O. (2022) Context Matters for Tone and Intonation Processing in Mandarin. Lang Speech. Mar; 65(1): 52-72.

[2]. Imbir K.K., Jurkiewicz G., Duda-Goławska J., Pastwa M., Żygierewicz J. (1981) The N400/FN400 and Lateralized Readiness Potential Neural Correlates of Valence and Origin of Words' Affective Connotations in Ambiguous Task Processing. Front Psychol. Oct 30.

[3]. Indah Peronika Siahaan, & Damanik, B. A. R. (2025). The Role of Semantic Ambiguity in Communication and Misunderstanding. Young Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(2), 178–186.

[4]. James A.N., Minnihan C.J., Watson D.G. (2023) Language Experience Predicts Eye Movements During Online Auditory Comprehension. J Cogn. Jun 28; 6(1): 30.

[5]. Sauter D.A., Eisner F., Ekman P., Scott S.K. (2010) Cross-cultural recognition of basic emotions through nonverbal emotional vocalizations. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. Feb 9; 107(6): 2408-12.

[6]. Swets B., Kurby C.A. (2016) Eye Movements Reveal the Influence of Event Structure on Reading Behavior. Cogn Sci. Mar; 40(2): 466-80.

[7]. Kim Y., Sidtis D.V.L., Sidtis J.J. (2021) Emotional Nuance Enhances Verbatim Retention of Written Materials. Front Psychol. Jun 14; 12: 519729.

[8]. Liu L., Götz A., Lorette P., Tyler M.D. (2022) How Tone, Intonation and Emotion Shape the Development of Infants' Fundamental Frequency Perception. Front Psychol. Jun 3; 13: 906848.

[9]. Yomna Waly, Craig G. Chambers, Susan A. Graham. (2025) Preschoolers’ use of emotional prosody in an unfamiliar language. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Volume 253, 106190.

[10]. Vehlen A., Spenthof I., Tönsing D., Heinrichs M., Domes G. (2021) Evaluation of an eye tracking setup for studying visual attention in face-to-face conversations. Sci Rep. Jan 29; 11(1): 2661.

Cite this article

Lin,Y. (2025). The Role of Emotional Intonation in Resolving Semantic Ambiguity. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,122,17-22.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceeding of ICSPHS 2026 Symposium: Critical Perspectives on Global Education and Psychological Development

ISBN: 978-1-80590-553-0(Print) / 978-1-80590-554-7(Online)
Editor: Nafhesa Ali, Enrique Mallen
Conference website: https://www.icsphs.org/Huntsville.html
Conference date: 15 January 2026
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.122
ISSN: 2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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