Disentangling cognitive and emotional load in interpreting

Abstract

This study employs a multimodal approach to investigate how emotional and cognitive load differentially impact interpreter stress. Twenty student interpreters consecutively interpreted four Turkish-to-English mental healthcare narratives of varying emotionality and difficulty, constructed using a 2×2 factorial design. Stress responses were measured using galvanic skin response (GSR), voice parameters (pitch and voice intensity), and self-report scales (PANAS, STAI, and NASA-TLX). Stimuli were normed for emotional valence and linguistic complexity using readability indices, expert ratings, and natural language processing (NLP) tools. Results showed that primarily cognitive load drove GSR arousal, particularly during later interpreting stages, whereas emotional load was reflected in pitch and self-reported negative affect. A pitch convergence between speaker and interpreter also emerged. None of the stress indicators predicted interpreting accuracy, suggesting a possible role for individual coping strategies.