Part of
Reembedding Translation Process ResearchEdited by Ricardo Muñoz Martín
[Benjamins Translation Library 128] 2016
► pp. 149–170
Edited by Ricardo Muñoz Martín
[Benjamins Translation Library 128] 2016
► pp. 149–170
Cognitive efficiency in translation
This article concerns the cognitive mechanisms that underlie the efficient allocation of cognitive resources during the translation process. Three indicators of efficient resource allocation are outlined and examined as correlates of translation expertise: flexibility, automaticity, and processing flow. Analyses of eye tracking and keylogging data from two groups of translators – professional translators and student translators – reveal that the more experienced group performs more efficiently. Professionals exhibit greater variation in attention unit duration, indicating greater cognitive flexibility and adaptability, while analysis of pupillary data suggests a lower cognitive load on professional translators’ cognitive systems. The two groups of translators exhibit different processing flow patterns. The study demonstrates that analyses of cognitive flexibility, cognitive automaticity, and processing flow are useful to determine processing efficiency in translation.
References
Alves, Fabio, and José Luiz Vila Real Gonçalves
2007 “Modelling Translator’s Competence –Relevance and Expertise under Strutiny.” In Triangulating Translation: Perspectives in Process Oriented Research, ed. by F. Alves, 3–24. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. 
Anderson, John R
2000 Cognitive Psychology and its Implications (5th edition). New York: Worth.
Baayen, Rolf Harald
2009 Analyzing Linguistic Data: A Practical Introduction to Statistics Using R (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Baddeley, Alan David
1986 Working Memory. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
2007 Working Memory, Thought, and Action. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Baddeley, Alan David, and Graham J. Hitch
1974 “Working Memory.” In The Psychology of Learning and Motivation: Advances in Research and Theory, vol. 8, ed. by G. Bower, 47–89. New York: Academic Press.
Balling, Laura Winther, and Kristian Tangsgaard Hvelplund
2015 “Design and Statistics in Quantitative Translation (Process) Research.” In Translation as a Cognitive Activity, (Translation Spaces 4:1), guest-ed. by F. Alves, A. Hurtado, and I. Lacruz, 170–187. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Balling, Laura Winther, Kristian Tangsgaard Hvelplund, and Annette Camilla Sjørup
2014 “Evidence of Parallel Processing during Translation.” Meta 59 (2): 234–259.
Dragsted, Barbara
2004 Segmentation in Translation and Translation Memory Systems: An Empirical Investigation of Cognitive Segmentation and Effects of Integrating a TM-System into the Translation Process. Ph.D. thesis, Copenhagen Business School. Copenhagen: Samfundslitteratur.
Ehrensberger-Dow, Maureen, and Gary Massey
2013 “Indicators of Translation Competence: Translators’ Self-Concepts and the Translation of Titles.” Journal of Writing Research 5: 103–131.
Englund Dimitrova, Birgitta
Ericsson, K. Anders, and Jacqui Smith
1991 Toward a General Theory of Expertise. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Ericsson, K. Anders, Ralf Th. Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Romer
1993 “The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance.” American Psychological Association 100: 363–406.
Gile, Daniel
Göpferich, Susanne
2009 “Towards a Model of Translation Competence and Its Acquisition: The Longitudinal Study TransComp.” In Behind the Mind: Methods, Models and Results in Translation Process Research , ed. by S. Göpferich, A.L. Jakobsen, and I.M. Mees, 11–38. Copenhagen: Samfundslitteratur.
Hess, Eckhard. H., and James M. Polt
1964 “Pupil Size in Relation to Mental Activity in Simple Problem Solving.” Science 143: 1190–1192.
Hvelplund, Kristian Tangsgaard
2011 Allocation of Cognitive Resources in Translation: An Eye-tracking and Key-logging Study. PhD thesis. Copenhagen: Copenhagen Business School.
2014 “Eye Tracking and Translation Process: Reflections on the Analysis and Interpretation of Eye Tracking Data.” In Minding Translation. Con la traducción en mente,
MonTI Special Issue 1, ed. by R. Muñoz, 221–224.
forthcoming, a. “Eye Tracking and the Process of Dubbing Translation.” In Audiovisual Translation: Expanding borders ed. by J. Díaz Cintas, and K. Nikolic
forthcoming, b. “Four Fundamental Types of Reading During Translation.” In Translation in transition ed. by A.L. Jakobsen, and B. Mesa Lao Amsterdam John Benjamins
Iqbal, Shamsi T., Piotr D. Adamczyk, Xianjun Sam Zheng, and Brian P. Bailey
2005 “Towards an Index of Opportunity: Understanding Changes in Mental Workload during Task Execution.” Proceedings of
CHI 2005
, 2nd–7th April 2005, Oregon USA, 311–320.
Jääskeläinen, Riitta, and Sonja Tirkkonen-Condit
1991 “Automated Processes in Professional vs. Non-Professional Translation: A Think-aloud Protocol Study.” In Empirical Research in Translation and Intercultural Studies, ed. by S. Tirkkonen-Condit, 89–109. Tübingen: Gunter Narr.
Jakobsen, Arnt Lykke, and Lasse Schou
1999 “Translog Documentation Version 1.0.” In Probing the Process of Translation: Methods and Results Appendix 1 , ed. by Gyde Hansen, 1–36. Copenhagen: Samfundslitteratur.
James, William
1890 Principles of Psychology. New York: Holt.
Muñoz Martín, Ricardo
2009 “Expertise and Environment in Translation.” Mutatis Mutandis: Revista Latinoamericana de Traducción 2 (1): 24–37.
PACTE
2003 “Building a Translation Competence Model.” In Triangulating Translation: Perspectives in Process Oriented Research, ed. by F. Alves, 43–66. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
2008 “First Results of a Translation Competence Experiment: Knowledge of Translation and Efficacy of the Translation Process.” In Translator and Interpreter Training. Issues, Methods and Debates, ed. by J. Kearns, 104–126. London: Continuum.
Ruiz Navarro, Carmen, Natalia Paredes Jiménez, Pedro Macizo Soria, and María Teresa Bajo Molina
2008 “Activation of Lexical and Syntactic Target Language Properties in Translation.” Acta Psychologica 128: 490–500.
Salthouse, Timothy A
1986 “Perceptual, Cognitive, and Motoric Aspects of Transcription Typing.” Psychological Bulletin 99 (3): 303–319.
Schaeffer, Moritz, Barbara Dragsted, Kristian Tangsgaard Hvelplund, Laura Winther Balling, and Michael Carl
2016 “Word Translation Entropy in Translation: Evidence of Early Target Language Activation during Reading for Translation.” In New Directions in Empirical Translation Process Research: Exploring the CRITT TPR-DB, ed. by M. Carl, S. Bangalore, and M. Schaeffer, 183–210. Cham: Springer.
Scott, William A
1962 “Cognitive Complexity and Cognitive Flexibility.” Sociometry 35: 405–414.
Shreve, Gregory M
2002 “Knowing Translation: Cognitive and Experiential Aspects of Translation Expertise from the Perspective of Expertise Studies.” In Translation Studies: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline, ed. by A. Riccardi, 150–171. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
2006 “The Deliberate Practice: Translation and Expertise.” Journal of Translation Studies 9 (1): 27–42.
Spelke, Elizabeth, William Hirst, and Ulric Neisser
1976 “Skills of Divided Attention.” Cognition 4: 215–230.
Sternberg, Robert J., and Talia Ben-Zeev
2001 Complex Cognition: The Psychology of Human Thought. New York: Oxford University Press.
Cited by
Cited by 13 other publications
Carl, Michael
2023. Chapter 12. The Monitor Model and its misconceptions. In Translation in Transition [American Translators Association Scholarly Monograph Series, XX], ► pp. 257 ff. 
Carl, Michael & Moritz Schaeffer
2018. The development of the TPR-DB as Grounded Theory Method. Translation, Cognition & Behavior 1:1 ► pp. 168 ff.
Deckert, Mikołaj
2020. Decision-Making: Putting AVT and MA into Perspective. In The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility [Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting, ], ► pp. 483 ff.
Gieshoff, Anne Catherine, Caroline Lehr & Andrea Hunziker Heeb
2021. Stress, cognitive, emotional and ergonomic demands in interpreting and translation. Cognitive Linguistic Studies 8:2 ► pp. 404 ff.
Hatzidaki, Anna
2019. Using experimental approaches to study translation. Translation, Cognition & Behavior 2:1 ► pp. 35 ff.
He, Yan & Jiayi Wang
2021. Eye Tracking Uncertainty Management in Sight Translation: Differences Between Professional and Novice Interpreters. In Advances in Cognitive Translation Studies [New Frontiers in Translation Studies, ], ► pp. 181 ff.
Hvelplund, Kristian Tangsgaard
2019. Digital resources in the translation process – attention, cognitive effort and processing flow. Perspectives 27:4 ► pp. 510 ff.
Hvelplund, Kristian Tangsgaard & Barbara Dragsted
2018. Chapter 4. Genre familiarity and translation processing. In Innovation and Expansion in Translation Process Research [American Translators Association Scholarly Monograph Series, XVIII], ► pp. 55 ff.
Jamoussi, Rafik, Aladdin Al Zahran & Kais A. Kadhim
2023. Beliefs on translation speed among students. A case study. Open Linguistics 9:1
Mah, Pascal Muam, Iwona Skalna, Tomasz Pełech-Pilichowski, Tomasz Derlecki, Mahmoud Nasr, Eric Munyeshuri, Gilly Njoh Amuzang, Micheal Blake Somaah Itoe & Ning Frida Tah
2023. Analysis of Virtual Reality Based on the Internet of Things on Human Psychology ‘Internet of Thoughts’ (IoThs) for Rich Content Extraction Applied Natural Language Processing and Deep Learning. In Digital Health Transformation, Smart Ageing, and Managing Disability [Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 14237], ► pp. 249 ff.
Olalla-Soler, Christian
2019. Using translation strategies to solve cultural translation problems. Differences between students and professional translators. Perspectives 27:3 ► pp. 367 ff.
Sakamoto, Akiko & Sarah Bawa Mason
2024. In search of a fair MTPE pricing model: LSPs’ reflections and the implications for translators. Perspectives ► pp. 1 ff.
Tardel, Anke
2021. Measuring Effort in Subprocesses of Subtitling. In Explorations in Empirical Translation Process Research [Machine Translation: Technologies and Applications, 3], ► pp. 81 ff.
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 21 march 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.