Revisiting the Construct Weights of Task Involvement Load Hypothesis in Vocabulary Learning and Retention

• Main Authors: Chia-jung Tsai, 蔡佳蓉
• Other Authors: Dr. Sheng-hui Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/75442595499428283642

博士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 英語學系 === 102 === Vocabulary learning has long been a focus area of research. Building on the conception of depth of processing and motivation, Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) proposed the Task Involvement Load Hypothesis which assumes that vocabulary learning and retention are dependent on a task’s involvement-induced load, which is determined by the constructs of the hypothesis: need, search, evaluation. A task which entails higher involvement load is claimed to be more effective than a task which induces lower involvement load. However, several empirical studies have found that tasks with higher involvement load do not lead to better vocabulary learning and retention as predicted by the hypothesis. Some researchers questioned whether the constructs of the hypothesis should be equally weighed. This study thus revisited the construct weights by exploring whether need, search, and evaluation alone, and their different combinations were equally effective for vocabulary learning and retention. Eight intact freshman English classes with a total of 252 intermediate learners were randomly assigned to complete search task, moderate need task, moderate evaluation task, strong need task, strong evaluation task, need plus search task, search plus evaluation task, or need plus evaluation task. The Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS) was administered to the groups as a pretest, immediate posttest, and delayed posttest. MANCOVA was the statistical measure applied for the analysis of the data. The results exhibited search to be more effective than moderate need and moderate evaluation on both vocabulary learning and retention (p < .05). However, search became inferior when compared with strong need on immediate vocabulary learning (p < .05) although the effectiveness of search and strong need was not significantly different in terms of vocabulary retention. Strong need also brought about better effects than strong evaluation on both vocabulary learning and retention (p < .05). In addition, need plus evaluation and need plus search seemed to evoke superior effect than search plus evaluation (p < .05). The findings indicate that the weighing of the involvement constructs is not the same. Strong need and search alone tend to induce a more powerful effect than moderate need, moderate evaluation, strong evaluation, need plus search, search plus evaluation, and need plus evaluation. Strong need as well as search appear to weigh greater than the others for successful vocabulary learning and retention. As a result, the weighing of the Task Involvement Load constructs requires adjustment, and vocabulary task designers or instructors can incorporate search and/or strong need as the core element in vocabulary task design.