When Negative Beliefs Are Not Enough: A Critical Look at Pessimism, Fixed Mindset, and Willingness to Communicate in EFL

Onagh, Mohammad Amin; Arabmofrad, Ali; Derakhshan, Ali

Volume 2, Issue 2 (July 2025) JCALS 2025, 2(2): 1-25 | Back to browse issues page

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Onagh M A, Arabmofrad A, Derakhshan A. When Negative Beliefs Are Not Enough: A Critical Look at Pessimism, Fixed Mindset, and Willingness to Communicate in EFL. JCALS 2025; 2 (2) : 1
URL: http://cals.gonbad.ac.ir/article-1-71-en.html

When Negative Beliefs Are Not Enough: A Critical Look at Pessimism, Fixed Mindset, and Willingness to Communicate in EFL

Mohammad Amin Onagh

, Ali Arabmofrad

, Ali Derakhshan

Golestan University

Abstract: (38 Views)

Do pessimism and a fixed mindset really stop EFL learners from speaking up? This study examines their effects on Willingness to Communicate (WTC) in an Iranian context. A total of 257 undergraduate and graduate EFL learners completed self-report scales measuring WTC, dispositional pessimism (LOT-R), and L2 mindsets. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping was used to test direct and indirect effects, including a hypothesized mediation of fixed mindset in the relationship between pessimism and WTC. Results indicated that pessimism positively predicted fixed mindset. However, neither pessimism nor fixed mindset significantly predicted WTC, and effect sizes were negligible. These findings suggest that negative belief systems are not simply the inverse of optimism or growth mindset in explaining communicative behavior. Instead, they have limited explanatory power in structured EFL contexts. The study refines the WTC framework by highlighting an asymmetry between positive and negative psychological constructs and emphasizes the importance of distinguishing dispositional beliefs from observable communicative behavior.

Article number: 1

Keywords: Willingness to Communicate (WTC), pessimism, fixed mindset, EFL learners, PLS-SEM

Full-Text [PDF 491 kb] (31 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/03/10 | Accepted: 2025/05/20 | Published: 2025/07/1