Rawdata of Emotions, learning beliefs, and interpreting competence in interpreting students a developmental study on their development patterns and predictive interplay

This longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectories and predictive relationships among emotions, learning beliefs, and interpreting competence in interpreter training. A cohort of 102 Chinese interpreting students was tracked over eleven months across three time points (T1, T2, T3). Results revealed distinct developmental patterns: positive emotions followed a U-shaped trajectory, while negative emotions increased significantly by T3 despite relative early stability. Learning beliefs progressively shifted from behaviorist to constructivist orientations, and interpreting competence demonstrated consistent growth. Hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) analyses showed that early-stage (T1) emotions and learning beliefs were not significant long-term predictors of later competence. Notably, interpreting competence itself emerged as a central driver: higher competence at T1 predicted greater emotional resilience and a stronger shift toward constructivist beliefs at later stages, and T2 competence further predicted T3 positive emotions and constructivist beliefs. While T2 positive emotions also predicted stronger constructivist beliefs at T3, these beliefs did not independently predict subsequent competence gains beyond the strong autoregressive effect of prior competence. These findings underscore a dynamic, competence-centered interplay between psychological factors and skill development. Pedagogically, they suggest that interpreter training should prioritize systematic competence-building while integrating emotional support and metacognitive activities that foster constructivist learning mindsets, thereby promoting more holistic learner development.