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The Effect of Induced Anxiety on the Denotative and Interpretive Content of Second
Language Speech
Author(s): Faith S. Steinberg and Elaine K. Horwitz
Source: TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Mar., 1986), pp. 131-136
Published by: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL)
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3586395 .
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METHOD
Subjects
TwentySpanish-speaking youngadultsenrolledin an intensiveESL
programat the University of Texas at Austinvolunteeredto serve as
researchsubjects.All were studentsat the low-intermediate
level who
BRIEF REPORTS AND SUMMARIES 131
Procedure
Subjectswere interviewed individually by the same researcher in an
emptyclassroom;all wereinformed ofthepresenceofan audiorecorder.
The taskconsistedof describingin Englishthreepictures(Numbers2,
8BM, and 5) fromMurry's(1935-1943)ThematicApperceptionTest
(TAT). The subjectswere asked to addressthreespecificareas in their
descriptions:(a) theelementsinthepicture,(b) theactualeventsdepicted,
and (c) whatthesubjectsimaginedto be happeningin thepicture.Thus,
subjectswere to respondwith both objectiveinformation and their
subjectiveinterpretations.
The TAT pictureswerechosenbecausetheirambiguity is wellsuitedfor
theelicitation as well as denotativematerial;in addition,
of interpretive
theiravailabilitypermits by otherresearchers.
replication As a controlfor
possiblevocabularyproblems, wordsbasicto eachpicturewereprovided
on a piece of paperand theirreferents indicatedin thepicture.Subjects
could also request additional vocabulary from the researcher.All
interviewswereaudio-recorded.
A Spanishlanguageversionof the Anxietyscale of Zuckermanand
Lubin's (1960) Multiple AffectAdjective Checklist (MAACL) was
administeredas a check on the effectivenessof the experimental
conditions.Uponcompletion oftheexperimental task,subjectsweregiven
the MAACL and instructed to checkoffall adjectiveswhichdescribed
how theyfeltat thatmoment.
Treatments
Anxietycondition.To fostera stressfulenvironment, the experimenter
pointedout thepresenceof audio as well as video recorders,traineda
video cameraon thesubject,and conspicuously playedwiththecontrols
duringthe interview.The subjectwas brusquelyshownto a seat at a
narrowlecturedesk, severalfeet distantfromthe experimenter, who
maintaineda cold and officialposturetowardsubjectsin the anxiety
group. Task instructionswere stress-loadedby emphasizingthat the
interviewwas an indicatorof basic English skills and that good
performance was crucialto the successof theexperiment. However,in
accordancewithhumansubjectguidelines, all subjectswerealsoinformed
Analysis
The audio-recorded interviews wereevwluated bythreenativeraters, all
experiencedESL teachers.Aftera brieftraining session,theraterswere
instructedto determinethe proportionate amountsof denotativeand
information
interpretive providedin each interview and to indicatetheir
judgments along a scale (see Figure1). Denotativeresponseswerethose
referringto actionsand elementsclearlyshownin the TAT pictures;
interpretiveresponseswere those containingprojectivereferencesto
eventsnotspecificallydepictedintheinstrument.
FIGURE1
RaterInstructions
I I I I I I I
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
RESULTS
Table 1 displaysthemeansand standarddeviationsof theunstandard-
ized (raw) and standardizedStudentResponseStylescores.A t testof
significancewas applied to the groupmeans;theresulting t value was
t (18) = -2.02, p < .03 (one-tailedtest).Thus,thehypothesis
significant:
thatanxiety-group memberswouldrespondless interpretively thantheir
nonanxiety-group was
counterparts supported.
TABLE 1
Means and StandardDeviationsof
Scores
Interpretive-Denotative
scores
Unstandardized Standardizedscores
Condition M SD M SD t
DISCUSSION
Whileotherstudieshave examinedtheinfluence of anxietyon overall
proficiency in a second language,thisstudyexaminedthe effectof
environmentally induced anxietyon a more subtleaspect of second
languageperformance: thedegreeofsubjectivity,ofpersonalinput,inthe
second languagemessage.It was foundthat subjectsundergoingan
experimental treatment aimed at makingthemfeelanxiousand "on the
spot" described visual stimuliless interpretively
thandid subjectsin a
relaxed,comfortable environment.
To whatextentcan theresultsofthisstudybe generalized tothesecond
languageclassroom? Whiletheanxietycondition was somewhatartificial,
thesituation probablyseemedquitecredibleto themanystudentswho
feeltheconstant pressureofevaluationinthesecondlanguageclassroom.
Further researchin secondlanguageclassrooms is necessaryto determine
the relationshipbetweenthe contentof second languagespeech and
anxietyinnaturalsettings.
This studyhas important implications forteacherswho believe that
languageteachingand learningshouldbe based on genuinecommunica-
tioninthetargetlanguage.Realisticcommunication is bothsubjectiveand
the
objective,requiring speaker to discusspersonalreactionsto and
offacts,as wellas thefactsthemselves.
interpretations The resultsof this
studysuggestthatstudentsmaybe less likelyto attemptthesekindsof
messagesina stressful,nonsupportive environment.
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