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Affective variables have not been adequately investigated in the study of second language acquisition. Imitation, egoism, and inhibition are three egocentric factors which have been treated only lightly in previous research. Three social variables, empathy, introversion/extroversion, and aggression, may be keys to understanding the social nature of second language learning. And the merging of cognition and affect in “cognitive styles,” which vary within and among individuals, might account for varying degrees of success in learning a second language. Widespread interdisciplinary research in the affective domain of the psychology of language acquisition could lead to the construction of a comprehensive theory of second language acquisition as well as more effective approaches to language teaching.
H. Douglas Brown (Sat,) studied this question.