Translating in the zone: The joint impact of positive emotions and flow on behavioral and cognitive dynamics in translation

Yanze Li, Yu Weng and Xianlong Zhu
South China University of Technology | The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

This study investigates how positive emotions and flow interact to influence translators’ cognitive processing patterns. Thirty-two translators completed two Chinese–English translation tasks following positive or neutral emotional priming, with their eye movements recorded throughout. While positive emotional priming did not significantly elevate overall flow scores, it correlated with key flow dimensions, including action-awareness merging and autotelic experience. Crucially, positive emotions and flow demonstrated synergistic effects on cognitive processing: their interaction enhanced processing efficiency, reduced cognitive effort, and tended to promote a more balanced attention distribution between source and target texts. The analyses further suggested a preliminary broaden-and-build effect, manifested in increasingly balanced attention allocation and enhanced parallel processing across tasks. By delineating how positive emotions and flow jointly shape translators’ behavioral and cognitive responses, this study refines process-oriented accounts of emotion and flow in translation and informs the design of workflows and training that more effectively support translators’ working states.

Publication history

Date received: 30 July 2025

Date accepted: 9 August 2026

Table of contents

Even when translating texts of similar difficulty, translators’ engagement and overall performance may vary significantly. At times, translators might struggle to concentrate, frequently revising their translations and experiencing fatigue or frustration. At other times, however, translators may enter a state of deep immersion, characterized by focused attention, efficient problem-solving, and smooth, effortless production. Such contrasting experiences suggest that translators’ performance may be influenced not only by linguistic competencies and task characteristics but also by their psychological states during translation.

Funding

This work was supported by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University under Grant number P0048379 to Yu Weng.

Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

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Address for correspondence

Yu Weng

Department of Language Science and Technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

HHB808, Hung Hom Bay Campus

8 Hung Lok Road, Hung Hom

KOWLOON

Hong Kong

[email protected]
ORCiD logo with linkhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9473-8038

Co-author information

Yanze Li
South China University of Technology
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
[email protected]
ORCiD logo with linkhttps://orcid.org/0009-0002-8469-6553
Xianlong Zhu
South China University of Technology
[email protected]
ORCiD logo with linkhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9816-5131
 
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