Interpret your languages, understand your feelings: The relationship between interpreting experience and empathy

Previous research has documented significant linguistic, cognitive, and communicative benefits of interpreting experience, such as enhanced language skills, heightened executive function, and improved working memory. This investigation focuses on the personality traits and emotional consequences associated with interpreting experience. We hypothesize that students trained in interpreting display greater empathic concerns and accuracy compared to their counterparts without such training, given that interpreting inherently involves exposure to multiple cultures, languages, and societal norms, thereby fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse emotional and psychological states. Study 1 employed self-report measures and found that participants trained in interpreting scored higher on empathy scales than those in linguistic programs. Extending beyond self-report techniques, Study 2 provided behavioral confirmation of our hypothesis; specifically, students with interpreting experience demonstrated greater empathic accuracy in recognizing the emotions of others. Furthermore, consistent with prior research, we found that females exhibited greater empathic tendencies compared to males. Taken together, these findings suggest that the demanding nature of the interpreting task may contribute to the development of these personality changes, aligning with the principles of the social investment theory.