Motivational dispositions shape feedback-seeking behaviors: a regulatory mode perspective

Grounded in Regulatory Mode Theory and Proactive Language Learning Theory, this study examined how learners’ general and second language (L2)-specific regulatory modes predict different dimensions of feedback-seeking behaviour (FSB) in foreign language learning. Participants were 212 university-level L2 learners in the United States who completed measures of general regulatory modes, L2-specific regulatory modes, and FSB. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a three-factor model of FSB consisting of Feedback Elicitation, Feedback Monitoring, and Feedback Use, which demonstrated superior fit to competing one- and two-factor models. Multiple regression analyses revealed that general locomotion positively predicted feedback elicitation, monitoring, and use, whereas general assessment did not significantly predict any FSB dimension. In contrast, both L2 locomotion and L2 assessment positively predicted all three FSB dimensions and explained substantially more variance than their general counterparts. These findings suggest that action-oriented self-regulatory tendencies facilitate proactive engagement with feedback and that L2-specific regulatory modes are more closely associated with feedback-related behaviours than domain-general regulatory dispositions. The results also raise questions about the conceptual distinctiveness of L2-specific regulatory modes, which may reflect learners’ engagement in classroom activities rather than the motivational principles underlying regulatory mode theory. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed.