Cognitive effort, self-efficacy, and strategies in the translation process
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
During a mixed-method study conducted at the Faculty of Languages-Mexicali Campus in the 2023-1 semester, we explored how cognitive effort manifests among our students. We designed a two-stage experiment. In the first stage, supported by experimental and cognitive psychology, we observed how cognitive effort is exhibited when choosing strategies and solving problems during the selection of CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation) tools such as translation memories (TM) and machine translators (MT). Students faced the challenge of working collaboratively, simulating being members of a translation agency. The results of the first stage indicate that in environments requiring greater cognitive effort to process information and choose a strategy, subjects tend to switch to easier-to-apply tools, leading to less accurate results, biased responses, and poor translation quality. This occurs when translating with the support of software programs such as TM and MT. In the second part of our research, we found that higher self-efficacy among subjects generally ensures better outcomes in the final products. It is crucial to emphasize that good emotional health, its management, and a positive self-concept of the translator are variables that significantly impact their performance and future professional development. This issue is not currently addressed in the undergraduate curriculum and remains an unresolved matter.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Suggested policy for journals that offer open access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License, which allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of authorship of the work and initial publication in this journal.
2. Authors may enter into additional contractual arrangements for non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the paper in the journal (e.g., submission to an institutional repository), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are allowed and encouraged to publish their work prior to the final version published in this journal once accepted (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website), as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and higher citation of the published work (see The Open Access Effect).