Understanding Classroom Silence: A Cognitive-Decision Model of Reference-Point Dependence and Task Framing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61360/BoniCETR262020690903Keywords:
foreign language learners, classroom oral performance, risk aversion, reference-point dependence, prospect theory, language proficiencyAbstract
Classroom silence persistently constrains college oral English instruction, yet its cognitive mechanisms remain underexplored. Drawing on Prospect Theory, this study constructs and tests an integrated model linking reference-point dependence, task framing, and language proficiency to explain oral risk-aversion. Survey data from 541 non-English-major undergraduates were analyzed via structural equation modeling. Results show that (1) four reference-point types-peer comparison, self-expectation, cultural norms, and teacher specification-significantly predict risk-aversion, with teacher specification exerting the strongest effect (β = 0.876); (2) perceived teacher task framing partially mediates this relationship (54.7% of total effect); (3) task framing and reference-point dependence interact to form a "cognitive-situational reinforcement loop"; (4) multi-group SEM based on CET-4 passing status reveals that non-passers show stronger direct reference-point→risk-aversion paths, while passers show a stronger task-framing→risk-aversion path; notably, the teacher-specification→risk-aversion path remains stable across proficiency levels. These findings position reference-point dependence as a key cognitive driver of classroom silence and task framing as an actionable intervention channel, while proficiency-stratified sensitivities call for differentiated pedagogical strategies. This study offers a novel cognitive-decision perspective on L2 classroom interaction and provides empirical and theoretical grounds for task and assessment design.
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