An Investigation into the Impact of Multidimensional Perfectionism on Second Language Listening Comprehension through the Mediating Roles of General Self-efficacy and Metacognitive Listening Strategies: A Multicategorical Multiple Mediation Analysis

The present investigation set out to examine the impact of multidimensional perfectionism on second language listening comprehension through the mediating effects of self-efficacy and metacognitive listening strategies within the Complex Dynamic Systems Approach. To this end, a total of 117 junior and senior EFL students completed the measures of perfectionism, self-efficacy, five distinct types of metacognitive listening strategies, and the IELTS listening comprehension test. Having gathered the data, cluster analysis was used to identify the perfectionism clusters (adaptive, maladaptive and non-perfectionist). Following a multicategorical multiple mediation analysis, the direct, relative indirect, and total effects of perfectionism on listening comprehension were analyzed to probe the postulated hypotheses of the study. Findings showed that perfectionism exerted direct effects on self-efficacy, three metacognitive strategies (person knowledge, mental translation, and problem solving). The direct effects of perfectionism on listening comprehension and planning and evaluation and directed attention strategies were not significant. Self-efficacy also exhibited significant direct effects on person knowledge and listening comprehension. In terms of relative indirect effects, the mediation analysis was significant and while perfectionism did not show a direct effect on listening comprehension, the relative indirect effects as well as the relative total effects through self-efficacy and metacognitive strategies were significant. Therefore, the inclusion of mediating variables made a significant contribution to the relationship between perfectionism and listening comprehension. The instructional implications of the study are discussed too.