1. Relevance Theory
- Developers: Sperber and Wilson
- Key Idea: Communication and translation are driven by the principle of relevance, meaning that translators seek an optimal balance between cognitive efforts and communicative rewards.
2. Process-Oriented Translation Studies
- Developers: Various scholars, including Wolfram Wilss and Gideon Toury
- Key Idea: Focuses on the mental processes and decision-making activities that occur during the act of translating.
3. Think-Aloud Protocols (TAP)
- Developers: Not specific to one person or team but widely used in translation studies
- Key Idea: Translators verbalize their thoughts while translating, providing insights into the cognitive processes and decision-making involved in translation.
4. Translational Competence Models
- Example: PACTE’s Translational Competence Model
- Key Idea: Describing and analyzing the knowledge, skills, and abilities that constitute translational competence, encompassing linguistic, extralinguistic, and strategic sub-competencies.
5. Effort Models
- Example: Gile’s Effort Models
- Key Idea: Translation involves managing limited cognitive resources and is affected by various efforts, such as production, listening, and memory efforts.
6. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Models
- Developers: Various, such as Bell (1991) and Tirkkonen-Condit (2005)
- Key Idea: Translation as a problem-solving activity, involving the identification, analysis, and resolution of translation problems.
7. Information Processing Model
- Developers: Various
- Key Idea: Exploring how translators process, store, and retrieve information during translation.
8. Risk Management Model
- Developers: Jääskeläinen
- Key Idea: Translation is viewed as a risk management activity, with decisions made to mitigate potential problems and ensure communication efficacy.
9. Translation Memory and Cognitive Load Theory
- Developers: Various
- Key Idea: Investigating how translation memory systems impact the cognitive load and processes of translators.
10. Situationality and Context Models
- Developers: Various
- Key Idea: Emphasizing the role of situational and contextual factors in shaping translation choices and strategies.
These theories and models all bring different perspectives to understanding the cognitive aspects of translation, including the mental processes, decision-making strategies, and external influences affecting translation practices. Researchers in cognitive translation studies may draw upon one or multiple of these theories when conducting their studies, depending on the particular focus and nature of their research.