Interpreter-mediated communication in cognitive assessments and psychotherapy

Abstract

Abstract Our paper investigates interpreter-mediated communication as intercultural dialogue in psychotherapy and assessments of cognitive functioning. We rely on previously published data to demonstrate the characteristics of communication in this setting and point to challenges relating to the validity of the assessments and to the efficacy of therapy. Using analytic tools from Conversation Analysis and Discourse Analysis, we specifically investigate how interpretation affects the interactional trajectory of communication, how interpreters manage both cultural and epistemic differences between the primary participants, how they deal with potential threats to the patient’s face and how they overall facilitate intercultural dialogue. We discuss concerns about the outcome of tests achieved in these circumstances and the challenges and potentials of interpretation in therapy.