Exploring Self‐Rated Empathy Among Language Interpreters Before and After a Simulated Task Interpreting for Police

ABSTRACT

Background

Police interview interpreting often requires conveying emotionally charged content. Although interpreters are expected to maintain neutrality, exposure to such material may heighten empathy and increase vulnerability to vicarious trauma. Few empirical studies have examined how empathy levels change during simulated police interview interpreting, particularly among interpreter trainees.

Aims

This study explored whether exposure to emotionally charged information in a simulated police interview affects interpreters’ empathy levels. Specific questions were: (1) are empathy scores significantly different after interpreting than before and (2) what kind of emotionally charged information in police interview contributes to this change.

Methods

A mixed-methods design was adopted with 25 postgraduate interpreter trainees. Participants completed the basic empathy scale (BES) immediately before and after interpreting a simulated police interview containing emotionally charged material. Quantitative data were analysed using paired-samples t-tests. In addition, three randomly selected participants took part in semi-structured interviews, which were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically.

Results

Mean overall empathy scores increased significantly after the simulation, from a mean of 3.2 (SD 1.0) to 4.0 (SD 0.9; p < 0.001). Subscale analysis indicated that this increase was driven by affective empathy (means pre: 3.1, post 4.4; p < 0.001); cognitive empathy showed no significant change. Thematic analysis of interview data suggested three interrelated mechanisms underlying empathy change: (1) emotional contagion from the suspect’s distress, (2) ethical conflicts between neutrality and personal moral response and (3) personal identification with the suspect’s circumstances.

Conclusions

Interpreting emotionally charged material in simulated police interviews significantly heightens interpreters’ affective empathy. Whereas this may support engagement, it also poses risks of emotional strain and vicarious trauma if sustained over time. These findings highlight the need for interpreter training to integrate emotional regulation strategies, and structured support systems. Future research should extend to professional interpreters and examine long-term effects of repeated exposure in real-world legal contexts.