AUTHOR=Lee Shu-Ping , Chang Shujen Lee , Su Hui-Kai , Cui Zhen-Yang , Lee Shin-Da 

TITLE=Psychophysiological factors as predictors of second language writing achievement in a computer-based test

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.958938

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.958938

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Sleep quality, personality, and cognitive load potentially increase second language writing (SLW) anxiety and subsequently affect SLW achievement. This study investigates the predictions of sleep quality, personality (social inhibition/ negative affectivity), and cognitive load (content/ computer) toward SLW anxiety and achievement in a computer-based test. Participants included 172 voluntary undergraduates majoring in English as foreign language. SLW anxiety in a computer-based test, sleep disturbance, personality and cognitive load was assessed with the SLW Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Type-D Personality, and cognitive load questionnaires. A structural equation modeling approach was applied to examine the interdependence among the observed variables. An adequate-fit SLW anxiety model was built (<italic>X<sup>2</sup></italic> = 6.37, <italic>df</italic> = 6, <italic>p</italic> = 0.383, <italic>NFI</italic> = 0.97, <italic>CFI</italic> = 1.00, <italic>RMSEA</italic> = 0.02; R-squared multiple correlations: SLW anxiety in a computer-based test = 0.19, computer-based SLW achievement = 0.07). The structural model showed that sleep disturbance (+0.17), social inhibition personality (+0.31), and computer-induced cognitive load (+0.16) were significant predictors of SLW anxiety in a computer-based test. Subsequently, SLW anxiety in a computer-based test (−0.16) and computer-induced cognitive load (−0.16) were significant negative predictors of computer-based SLW achievement.</p>