Abstract: Of the disciplines which have some bearing on the study of interpreting, the most prominent is the field of psychology. Its conceptual and methodological approaches have been applied in the study of (simultaneous) conference interpreting. Drawing from such approaches, Chinese scholars focused mainly on the cognitive workings and the fields of expertise, without due concern for psycho-physiological aspects. This paper tries to reveal, through some examples, the psycho-physiological dimensions of interpreting studies in the West, and propose several points for domestic researchers.