Cognitive Bias and the Quality of Bible Translation

The quality of translation is greatly impacted by the people involved in the translation process. According to Cognitive Science everyone develops a thinking style based on their everyday experiences beginning in their childhood. This thinking style is reinforced through habits formed as well as from societal influences. Those from an individual-focused society primarily activate the left side of the brain through analysis, logic, and linear thinking while those from a collective-focused society primarily activate the right part of the brain through holistic thinking, intuition, and feelings. As these biases are largely unconscious, their impact on the translation process is rarely identified. Thinking processes influence how decisions are made, and errors are not easily identified. For example: how translation quality is defined; how biblical sources are interpreted; how translators and consultants communicate; how people are trained, mentored and coached; as well as how resources and translation tools are developed. All these activities can all be affected by cognitive bias. To better understand how cognitive bias impacts the quality of translation, this paper explains how the brain creates cognitive bias and how different cognitive thinking styles create cognitive biases that in turn can create misunderstanding or errors. The paper concludes with recommendations for how to identify and address (modify) cognitive bias to improve the quality of translation and the acceptance and use of the translated Scriptures.