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Ambiguity tolerance as a mediator: how mindfulness intervention enhances English reading comprehension among university students

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This longitudinal study investigated whether ambiguity tolerance mediates the relationship between mindfulness intervention and second language (L2) English reading comprehension among Chinese university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Using a single-site randomized controlled design with stratified allocation, 160 participants were randomly assigned to either an 8-week mindfulness intervention or a no-intervention control group, with assessments at four time points: baseline (T0), mid-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2), and three-month follow-up (T3). A latent growth curve mediation model indicated that changes in ambiguity tolerance statistically mediated the association between mindfulness training and reading comprehension improvements (indirect effect = 0.27, 95% CI [0.18, 0.36], p < 0.001), accounting for approximately 64% of the total effect. Mediation was particularly pronounced for ambiguity processing capacity and inferential ability. The mindfulness intervention was associated with substantial gains in ambiguity tolerance ( d = 1.59) and in each reading comprehension dimension ( d = 0.92–1.73, all p s < 0.001), and cross-lagged panel analysis showed that prior changes in ambiguity tolerance predicted subsequent reading comprehension change, whereas the reverse path was not significant. These findings are consistent with a model in which mindfulness practice enhances L2 reading comprehension, at least in part, by increasing learners’ capacity to tolerate and process textual ambiguity. Because the study was conducted at a single university without an active control condition or blinded outcome assessment, the causal interpretation should be regarded as preliminary and in need of replication in more diverse settings.
DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-07625-x
Author: Chaoyi Huang
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,890
OpenAlex ID: W7162501285
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