The Psychology of Sustainability and Psychological Capital: New Lenses to Examine Well-Being in the Translation Profession

Abstract

The psychology of sustainability and sustainable development is a new research area which involves optimizing and regenerating personal resources in order to establish meaningful lives and work experiences (Di Fabio, 2017). The concept of psychological capital (PsyCap) has been linked to the psychology of sustainability due to its potential role in promoting well-being in organizations and improving people's health and performance. However, this area of sustainability science is currently absent from the translation studies literature despite its relevance for professional translators' work in today's challenging and competitive environment. In line with the argument that sustainability principles apply to a variety of disciplines, the purpose of this article is to introduce the value of the psychology of sustainability for organizational and individual well-being via key concepts of relevance to the translation profession. Within this trans-disciplinary reflection space (Di Fabio and Rosen, 2018), I will also consider the research evidence for adopting a primary prevention perspective for the benefit of professional translators. Examining translator behaviour through the lens of the psychology of sustainability is a new and exciting venture that has the potential to reframe professional perspectives and translators' career paths.

Towards the effects of translators’ emotional intelligence and anxiety on their translation quality

“…Jääskeläinen [ 28 ] stated that the emergence of translation psychology “implied rethinking translation as a complex process involving human psychological factors succinctly addressed in the translation competence models” [p. 193]. Investigations on the psychological traits of translators underscore numerous facets encompassing the human nature of translators, such as the influence of their viewpoints [ 31 ], individualized characteristics [ 32 ], resilience [ 27 ], and positive and negative feelings [ 33 ] on the translation procedure.…”

The interplay between psychological well-being, stress, and burnout: Implications for translators and interpreters

“…Accordingly, they should be taught how to control their stress and how to find solutions for coping with challenging experiences that cause burnout. Translator educators are required to develop psychological resources and translators' psychological well-being by increasing specific areas of psychological capital in terms of self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and resilience via both continuing professional development prospects and explicit guidelines [ 21 ] since they influence better performance and less job burnout [ 57 ]. In the same vein, learners’ awareness of the association between coping strategies, and emotional factors encourage them to invest more efforts in enhancing their translation quality.…”

“…Given the fact that emotions and being aware of them play a crucial role in human functioning [ 20 ], they potentially can influence the outcome of translation; therefore, the affective aspects of translators and interpreters contribute to the quality of translation and interpretation. As with other professionals, professional translators are likely to experience these external pressures so a variety of conditions and variables in the work setting including time constraints, complex technologies, and competition have been shown to jeopardize these professionals [ 21 ].…”

University students involved in a sustainable world: assessing sustainable consumption in Spain

“…The SDGs approach placed the individual at the center of the issue and the wellbeing also came to be seen as a crucial goal of sustainable development (Hubscher-Davidson, 2020). According to the World Health Organization (2007), health is not only about complete physical well-being or the absence of disease but also about mental, spiritual and social fulfillment.…”