Publications

Publication details [#21392]

Macnamara, Brooke N., Adam B. Moore, Judy A. Kegl and Andrew R.A. Conway. 2011. Domain-general cognitive abilities and simultaneous interpreting skill. In Pöchhacker, Franz and Miriam Shlesinger, eds. Aptitude for interpreting. Special issue of Interpreting. International Journal of Research and Practice in Interpreting 13 (1): 121–142.
Publication type
Article in Special issue
Publication language
English
Journal DOI
10.1075/intp

Abstract

This exploratory study examined domain-general cognitive abilities that may serve as aptitudes for interpreting skill by comparing highly skilled sign language interpreters (those considered competent in most interpreting situations) and less skilled sign language interpreters (those considered less than competent in most interpreting situations) on various measures. Specifically, the current study examined the feasibility of predicting interpreter skill level based only on a variety of cognitive abilities and personality traits. The authors collected data on several cognitive measures, including processing speed, psychomotor speed, cognitive control and task switching ability, fluid intelligence, working memory capacity, and mental flexibility, as well as several personality measures, including risk-taking orientation and emotion-cognition integration style, and intrinsic motivation to engage in complex cognitive tasks. Significant differences emerged between the two groups on both cognitive and personality measures suggesting that a combination of stable domain-general cognitive abilities and personality traits may be responsible for differentiating highly skilled from less skilled interpreters and may therefore be predictive of individuals’ future interpreting effectiveness and skill level.
Source : Based on abstract in journal