Emotional-Failure Stories Enhance Arousal, Ease Negative Emotions, and Strengthen Motivation In English Learners: An Eye-Tracking Study

Barcelona, Spain · May 2026

Posters · Emotion & Motivation: What Drives the Self

Keying Wang
Teachers College, Columbia University
Yunyi Sheng
Teachers College, Columbia University
Yuxuan Li
Teachers College, Columbia University
Jean Tang
Teachers College, Columbia University
Yang Qu
Northwestern University
Xiaodong Lin-Siegler
Teachers College, Columbia University

Abstract

We conducted a randomized controlled eye-tracking experiment (N=23) with questionnaires to examine how emotional vs. factual stories about scientific failures influence English learners’ engagement, emotional arousal, post-reading emotions, and motivational beliefs. The emotional story elicited descriptively greater arousal, plus improved emotional and motivational outcomes for English learners.

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Emotional-Failure Stories Enhance Arousal, Ease Negative Emotions, and Strengthen Motivation In English Learners: An Eye-Tracking Study

Abstract

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