Sign language interpreters' ethical discourse and moral reasoning patterns
This study investigates the ethical reasoning abilities of sign language interpreters in the US using two data sources, one that is qualitative and one that is quantitative. The twenty-five participants involved in this study were recruited after their completion of an online training session on interpreting ethics (unrelated to this study or the author). Their responses to six ethical scenarios (e.g., what would you do and why) were analysed through the lens of James Restâs three tacit moral schemas: personal interest schema, maintaining norms schema, and post-conventional schema. These data were then compared to the results of Restâs standardised instrument of moral reasoning, the Defining Issues Test, also based on these three schema preferences. These data show that the interpreter participants have a preference for a maintaining norms schema on both qualitative and quantitative data sources. This moral reasoning pattern found in the interpreter cohort is more typical of adolescent reasoning â a much younger profile than the actual age and education level of the participant pool. Furthermore, this reasoning preference does not coincide with the justice claims often made in the profession (e.g. the
Dean, Robyn K.
Sign language interpreters' ethical discourse and moral reasoning patterns. This study investigates the ethical reasoning abilities of sign language interpreters in the US using two data sources, one that is qualitative and one that is quantitative. The twenty-five participants involved in this study were recruited after their completion of an online training session on interpreting ethics (unrelated to this study or the author). Their responses to six ethical scenarios (e.g., what would you do and why) were analysed through the lens of James Restâs three tacit moral schemas: personal interest schema, maintaining norms schema, and post-conventional schema. These data were then compared to the results of Restâs standardised instrument of moral reasoning, the Defining Issues Test, also based on these three schema preferences. These data show that the interpreter participants have a preference for a maintaining norms schema on both qualitative and quantitative data sources. This moral reasoning pattern found in the interpreter cohort is more typical of adolescent reasoning â a much younger profile than the actual age and education level of the participant pool. Furthermore, this reasoning preference does not coincide with the justice claims often made in the profession (e.g. the
sign_language interpreter ethical discourse moral reasoning pattern study_investigate ethical reason ability sign_language interpreter use data_source qualitative quantitative twenty participant involve study recruit completion online training session interpret ethic unrelated study author response ethical scenario would analyse lens james rest tacit moral schema personal interest schema maintain norm schema post conventional schema data_compare rest standardise instrument moral reasoning defining issues test also base schema preference data_show interpreter participant preference maintain norm schema qualitative_quantitative data_source moral reasoning pattern find interpreter cohort typical adolescent reason much young profile actual age education level participant pool furthermore reason preference coincide justice claim often make profession