The effects of task complexity and individual differences in novice interpreters' consecutive interpreting performance

Consecutive interpreting (CI) is a cognitively demanding and anxiety-provoking task characterized by multidimensional cognitive load, requiring interpreters to manage meaning processing, syntactic reformulation, and memory retention under time constraints. Performance in CI is thus susceptible to both task-induced load and individual differences in cognitive and affective traits. This study investigates how task complexity, operationalized through word-order asymmetry between the Chinese-English language pair, interacts with individual differences in second language (L2) proficiency, anxiety, and working memory to determine CI performance. Thirty-nine novice interpreters performed three tasks of varying complexity, with performance assessed in accuracy, fluency, and target-language quality. Results revealed a selective performance trade-off: under the highest task load, informational accuracy and fluency significantly declined, whereas output quality remained stable. L2 proficiency positively predicted accuracy and language quality. Anxiety demonstrated a dual role: while generally detrimental to fluency, its negative effect was attenuated under the most demanding task, indicating the mobilization of compensatory resources under high cognitive load. These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between cognitive load, affective states, and linguistic expertise in shaping interpreting performance, offering insights into interpreter training and task design.