Linguistic and cognitive modelling of concentration and inhibition in simultaneous interpreting quality assessment

Abstract

The present study examines concentration and inhibitory control as key psycholinguistic mechanisms underpinning the quality of simultaneous interpreting. Drawing on research in executive functions and bilingual control, such as the frameworks proposed by Miyake and colleagues (2000), Green (1998), and Dong and Xie (2014), as well as recent advances in Cognitive Translation Studies and situated cognition, including the work of Risku and Rogl (2020), Tatsakovych (2021), and Pavlyk (2021), the study introduces a linguistic-cognitive model that connects time-based and structural features of interpreter output with quality assessment scales employed in professional training. Concentration is operationalized via ear-voice span (EVS) and a balance of cognitive load index (BKN), while inhibition is measured using a cognitive economy coefficient (KCE) and an emotional-cognitive equilibrium index (EKE), reflecting interpreters’ regulation of affective and analytical responses in real time. These indices are synthesized into a composite Cognitive Integration Index (CII), offering a comprehensive metric for interpreting performance. Empirical data were collected from a longitudinal experiment involving 68 MA interpreting students (English–Ukrainian, B2–C2) enrolled in a six-month “Simultaneous Interpreting Training” course (2 hours daily, 5 days per week, in 15-minute blocks with 5-minute breaks). Pre- and post-training recordings of simultaneous interpreting of political and diplomatic speeches were transcribed and annotated for EVS, pauses, self-repairs, and semantic compression; quality was rated by independent experts using EMT-based scales. Results indicate that concentration and inhibition in interpreting are not merely abstract psychological traits, but measurable and trainable cognitive skills. The study suggests that psycholinguistic monitoring, including EVS tracking and composite indices such as CII, can be integrated into interpreter education. Implications for aligning Ukrainian curricula with EMT standards and for interpreting in crisis and war-related contexts are discussed.