Study of words and icons related to social networks: familiarity, valence and activation in Spanish university students

The aim of this study is to create a freely accessible database containing variables of words and icons related to social networks nowadays. The study describes the responses of a sample of students on the familiarity, emotional valence and activation of 42 words related to social networks and their corresponding icons. It also studies 42 animals and their corresponding icons that may be useful as control stimuli in experimental studies. The results obtained show gender differences in the familiarity of some words and icons. In addition, differences in the valuation of words versus their respective icons have been found in words that can be represented pictorially in numerous ways. This suggests that the lack of a direct correlate between a word and its icon might influence participants' ratings. The materials provided by this work allow us to broaden our understanding of the lexicon used in the field of ICT and open up the possibility of manipulating variables in experimental work on the use, abuse or dependence on social networks in Spain.