A preliminary scale for assessing translators' self-efficacy

Abstract

Although applied self-efficacy research currently offers some promising avenues of study for Translatology (Jiménez Ivars and Pinazo Calatayud 2001; Atkinson 2012; Bolaños-Medina 2014), no specific translation self-efficacy scale (TSE) with adequate psychometric properties has been devised until now. The purpose of this study is, on the one hand, to develop a scale for assessing translators' self-efficacy following the recommended standard guidelines (Bandura 2006) and a rigorous statistical testing process which will allow us to determine its factor structure and psychometric properties in undergraduate students (n = 74). On the other hand, by doing so, we will also illustrate the process of developing psychometric instruments specifically designed for cognitive, empirical-experimental research in Translatology, in order to promote more efforts in this direction within our discipline. A conceptual analysis of the relevant domain of functioning was performed and a preliminary pool of 52 items was initially suggested, and later refined into 20. After conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, descriptive statistics and distributions of the items were obtained. Next, the internal consistency and the concurrent validity of TSE's five subscales were evaluated. The results indicate that TSE shows adequate levels of reliability and validity, and support its five-factor structure.