Your writing could have been better: Examining the effects of upward and downward counterfactual communication on the motivational aspects of L2 writing

Abstract

Teachers’ comments on how the students’ performance might have been if they performed in a specific way can have several implications for their motivation and engagement. This study examined the effects of upward and downward counterfactuals comments on the motivational aspects of L2 writing. To this end, 189 English as foreign language (EFL) learners were randomly assigned to three groups of upward counterfactual, downward counterfactual and control conditions and received counterfactual communication about a piece of writing. They were asked to answer to self-report scales on motivation, anxiety, growth mindsets, intended effort, willingness to write and perceptions of the rater. The results indicated that upward counterfactual communication positively influenced L2 writers’ motivation, anxiety, growth mindsets, intended effort, willingness to write and perceptions of the rater, while downward counterfactual communication produced negative effects in regards to these motivational variables. The implications of the study for research and practice are presented. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.