Interpreting Anxiety: Where it Comes From and How it Varies Across Interpreters of Different Proficiency.

Xiao, Jiahui (2025) Interpreting Anxiety: Where it Comes From and How it Varies Across Interpreters of Different Proficiency. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

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Abstract

As a complex process of real-time language transformation, interpreting imposes significant cognitive demands due to its features such as time pressure, immediacy, lack of opportunities for revision, and uncertainty, making it highly anxiety-provoking. Despite its significant impact on interpreting performance, research on interpreting anxiety (IA), particularly its source reasons and levels across different proficiencies, remains limited. To address these issues, this thesis aims to explore the source factors and categorisations of IA in consecutive interpreting and how it is produced by developing an Interpreting Anxiety Source Model (IASM), and also investigate how IA varies in terms of different source categories in the preparation stage of interpreting across interpreters of different proficiency levels. It focuses on Chinese-English interpreters including novice, proficient and professional levels, and employs an exploratory mixed-methods design incorporating both interviews and questionnaires. With 15 interviews, the thesis identifies four categories of IA sources: language knowledge, extralinguistic knowledge, interpreting skills, and stakeholder factors. Integrating this IA source categorisation with cognitive psychology theories, the thesis proposes the IASM, which emphasises the importance of interpreting self-efficacy (ISE) and coping resources in producing and moderating IA. The IASM is also validated via quantitative data. Key findings from 268 questionnaires reveal significant negative correlations between IA and ISE across all four dimensions. Across three interpreter groups – novice, proficient, and professionals, IA tends to decrease with growing proficiency, with stakeholder factors most likely to induce anxiety among novices, deficiencies in interpreting skills among proficient interpreters, and concerns on extralinguistic knowledge among professionals. These insights highlight the need for tailored strategies targeting managing IA at different proficiency stages. The outcomes of the research contribute to this interdisciplinary field as it explores IA sources, enhances the theoretical understanding of IA producing mechanisms, and offers practical implications for interpreting education and professional development.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
Divisions:	Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.82227/repository.uwtsd.ac.uk.00004149
Depositing User:	Victoria Hankinson
Date Deposited:	16 Mar 2026 10:20
Last Modified:	16 Mar 2026 10:21
URI:	https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/4149

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