Cognitive control in interpreters

There is currently a lively debate in the literature about whether bilingualism leads to enhanced cognitive control or not. Recent evidence suggests that knowledge of more than one language does not always suffice for the manifestation of a bilingual cognitive control advantage. As a result, ongoing research has focused on modalities of bilingual language use that may interact with the bilingual advantage. In this study, we explored the cognitive control performance of simultaneous interpreters. These highly proficient bilinguals comprehend information in one language while producing in the other language, which is a complex skill requiring high levels of language control. In a first experiment, we compared professional interpreters to monolinguals. Data were collected on interference suppression, prepotent response inhibition, and working memory capacity, using the flanker task, the Simon task, and a digit span task, respectively. The results showed that the professional interpreters performed similarly to the monolinguals on all measures. In Experiment 2, we compared professional interpreters to monolinguals and second language teachers. Data were collected on interference suppression, prepotent response inhibition, attention, working memory capacity, and updating. These cognitive control measures were assessed using three computerized tasks: an advanced flanker task, a Hebb repetition paradigm, and an n-back task. We found converging evidence for our finding that experience in interpreting may not lead to superior interference suppression, prepotent response inhibition, and working memory capacity. In fact, our results showed that the professional interpreters performed similarly to both the monolinguals and the second language teachers on all tested cognitive control measures. We did however find evidence for a (small) advantage in working memory capacity for interpreters relative to monolinguals when analyzing composite scores of both experiments together. Taken together, the results of the current study suggest that interpreter experience does not necessarily lead to general cognitive control advantages. However, there may be small interpreter advantages in working memory capacity, suggesting that this might be an important cognitive control aspect of simultaneous interpreting.目前学界围绕双语能力是否能提升认知控制（cognitive control）这一议题展开了激烈的讨论。近期研究证据表明，仅掌握多门语言，并不总能展现出双语认知控制优势。因此，当前的研究聚焦于可能与双语优势产生交互作用的双语语言使用模式。本研究探讨了同声传译员（simultaneous interpreters）的认知控制表现。这类熟练度极高的双语使用者需在接收一种语言信息的同时，以另一种语言进行产出，这是一项需要高度语言控制能力的复杂技能。在第一项实验中，我们将专业译员与单语使用者（monolinguals）进行了对比。我们分别采用侧翼任务（flanker task）、西蒙任务（Simon task）与数字广度任务（digit span task），对干扰抑制（interference suppression）、优势反应抑制（prepotent response inhibition）以及工作记忆容量（working memory capacity）这三项指标开展数据采集。实验结果显示，专业译员在所有测试指标上的表现与单语使用者并无显著差异。在第二项实验中，我们将专业译员与单语使用者及第二语言教师（second language teachers）进行了对比。本次实验采集了干扰抑制、优势反应抑制、注意力、工作记忆容量以及更新这几项认知控制指标的数据，并通过三项计算机化任务对上述指标进行评估：进阶版侧翼任务、赫布重复范式（Hebb repetition paradigm）与n-back任务（n-back task）。我们得到了一致性的证据，支持本研究的核心发现：口译经历未必能带来更优异的干扰抑制、优势反应抑制与工作记忆容量表现。事实上，实验结果显示，专业译员在所有测试的认知控制指标上，其表现均与单语使用者及第二语言教师不相上下。不过，当我们对两项实验的综合得分进行分析时，发现译员相较于单语使用者，在工作记忆容量上存在小幅优势。综上，本研究结果表明，口译经历未必能带来普遍的认知控制优势。不过，译员在工作记忆容量方面或存在小幅优势，这暗示工作记忆容量可能是同声传译相关的一项重要认知控制维度。