人们习惯性刚开始过分乐观 之后过分悲观(有声

People initially¹ expect to learn a new skill easily, then become overly pessimistic when reality sets in.

Have you ever bought a new electronic device, or tried a new activity, and then dropped it because you were sure you couldn’t possibly master it? Well, don’t give up so quickly.

Researchers performed six experiments that involved subjects trying out new tasks—including drawing an image from looking at its reflection in a mirror, and learning to type on a new kind of keyboard. The participants were asked how long it would take them to learn the task. They tended to be overconfident and thought they’d do better on the first try than they actually did.

Then, after trying, they were asked how quickly they’d become good at it. But this time they were pessimistic and thought it’d take them longer to learn than it actually did. The study is in the Journal of Consumer Research.

The findings are relevant because many new consumer goods are quickly tossed aside. It could be because people initially think that their fancy new mp3 player will be easy– then after they try, they’re sure they’ll never be able to master it. So you will be able to ski—or use that iPad—later than you expected, but sooner than you think.

 

1 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。