The influence of closeness and anonymity on peer feedback

What is it about?

This study investigates the effect of closeness and anonymity between Japanese university students on their degree of discomfort and quality of feedback exchanged during L1 peer feedback in an L2 English classroom. The investigations focus on learners’ praise and critique exchanged in their first language when reviewing each other’s English essays, as well as their reported degree of discomfort during the process. These variables are investigated by pairing each participant with three classmates: a known classmate with whom they are mutually close, a known classmate with whom they are mutually distant, and a classmate whose identity is unknown. These pairs exchange feedback on their writing and rate their level of discomfort when giving and receiving feedback. The investigations find lower degrees of discomfort among learners who share a close relationship. Furthermore, the results indicate that anonymity does not reduce the discomfort experienced by learners during the peer feedback process. The results also show that learners exchange similar feedback, regardless of their closeness or anonymity. The study alleviates concerns that closeness or anonymity influences the quality of peer feedback exchanged in the EFL classroom, with the caveat that learners who are close may experience the least discomfort during the process.

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study offers a timely challenge to common assumptions about peer feedback in EFL classrooms, particularly the belief that anonymity is necessary to reduce learner discomfort or improve feedback quality. By directly comparing interactions between close peers, distant classmates, and anonymous partners within the same participants, it provides a rare, controlled look at how social relationships shape the feedback experience. Its focus on L1-mediated feedback in an L2 writing context also reflects current pedagogical shifts toward leveraging learners’ full linguistic repertoire. Notably, the findings suggest that while interpersonal closeness can ease emotional discomfort, neither closeness nor anonymity significantly alters the quality of feedback exchanged, which is an insight that supports more flexible, relationship-informed approaches to peer review in Japanese university settings and similar EFL contexts.