The effects of task complexity and individual differences in novice interpreters' consecutive interpreting performance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21283641 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zhaokun Jiang (0000-0002-1129-4003, National University of Singapore), Qianxi Lv (0000-0002-2387-4048, Shanghai Jian Qiao University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 266 |
| Pages | 106829 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Acta Psychologica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0001-6918 • E-ISSN: 1873-6297 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.actpsy.2026.106829 |
| PMID | 41990470 |
| OpenAlex | W7154490700 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
Consecutive interpreting (CI) is a cognitively demanding and anxiety-provoking task characterized by multidimensional cognitive load, requiring interpreters to manage meaning processing, syntactic reformulation, and memory retention under time constraints. Performance in CI is thus susceptible to both task-induced load and individual differences in cognitive and affective traits. This study investigates how task complexity, operationalized through word-order asymmetry between the Chinese-English language pair, interacts with individual differences in second language (L2) proficiency, anxiety, and working memory to determine CI performance. Thirty-nine novice interpreters performed three tasks of varying complexity, with performance assessed in accuracy, fluency, and target-language quality. Results revealed a selective performance trade-off: under the highest task load, informational accuracy and fluency significantly declined, whereas output quality remained stable. L2 proficiency positively predicted accuracy and language quality. Anxiety demonstrated a dual role: while generally detrimental to fluency, its negative effect was attenuated under the most demanding task, indicating the mobilization of compensatory resources under high cognitive load. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between cognitive load, affective states, and linguistic expertise in shaping interpreting performance, offering insights into interpreter training and task design
Cognition · Perception · Poison control · Task (project management) · Task Analysis · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Interpreting and Communication in Healthcare
Task complexity, theory of mind, and intentional reasoning
Anxiety and cognitive performance
Linguistic complexity
Anxiety and Performance
Mental control of the bilingual lexico-semantic system
PsychoPy2
Fitting Linear Mixed-Effects Models Using lme4
LmerTest Package
Modelling Second Language Performance
Task complexity, task difficulty, and task production
The Emergence of a Complex Language Skill
The effect of cognitive load on temporal and disfluency patterns of speech
In search of the working memory advantage in conference interpreting – Training, experience and task effects
An evidence-based exploration into the effect of language-pair specificity in English-Chinese simultaneous interpreting
Acquisition of cognitive skill
Rubricizing the assessment practice
Coping with syntactic complexity in English–Chinese sight translation by translation and interpreting students
Structural priming
Syntactic asymmetry and spillover effects in simultaneous interpreting with slides
The construct of cognitive load in interpreting and its measurement
Analysis of speech rhythm and heart rate as indicators of stress on student interpreters
Assessing effects of source text complexity on L2 learners’ interpreting performance
Cognitive load in simultaneous interpreting
A cognitive investigation of ‘chunking’ and ‘reordering’ for coping with word-order asymmetry in English-to-Chinesesight translation
Complexity and Difficulty in Second Language Acquisition
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |