Language in interpreting: Multidimensional evidence on emotional states, cognitive load, and their correlation

Research on emotion in Cognitive Translation and Interpreting Studies has expanded in recent years, with increasing attention to its role in cognitive processing. However, relatively few studies have examined the emotion-cognition relationship in emotionally charged simultaneous interpreting using multidimensional designs. This study adopts a multidimensional measurement framework to capture interpreters' emotional states and cognitive load elicited by emotionally charged source language. Fifty-one student interpreters participated in a controlled interpreting experiment. Cognitive load was assessed via eye-tracking and self-reports. Emotional states were assessed via skin conductance and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Results showed no significant correlations between overall emotional states and overall cognitive load or its subcomponents. However, the Negative Affect minus Positive Affect (NA − PA) dimension was positively correlated with overall cognitive load, while mean skin conductance level was negatively correlated with overall cognitive load and positively with NA − PA. These results suggest that different emotional dimensions may offset each other globally, yet a more negative emotional state is associated with increased subjective and objective cognitive demands. By contrast, higher physiological arousal coincided with lower perceived cognitive effort, indicating that certain levels of arousal may facilitate cognitive efficiency. These findings deepen understanding of the emotion-cognition interface in high-demand language tasks and offer practical implications for interpreter training and service delivery.