The Relationship Between Two Temporal Dimension Anxieties and Defensive Strategies in Second Language Learning

Abstract

Recent studies have revealed that confidence will prevent defensive pessimists, who account for more than 20 % of the whole, from learning. Defensive Pessimism is a sub-classification of defensive strategies involved in anxiety. Educational individualization demanded more knowledge concerning the exact relationship between defensive strategies and anxiety, which was not well unraveled. In addition, the scales of anxiety along the temporal dimension were not constructed, though each type of defensive strategy was predicted to possess a different liminal zone of anxiety toward their prospects. This study aimed to construct the scales of anxiety along the temporal dimension and to reveal the relationship between defensive strategy and anxiety. Two hundred sixty 10^<th> graders responded to a questionnaire on anxiety and protective strategies. As main results, first, the constructed scales of anxiety and defensive strategies had α reliability coefficients from .67 to .82. Second, all types of defensive strategies were positively related to Imminent Anxiety. Third, procrastinators were negatively related to Long-term Prospect Anxiety and Anxiety about Scholastic Marks of English Classes. Fourth, defensive pessimism was positively related to Long-term Prospect Anxiety.