英语听力文摘 English Digest 408、点点头,更自信！

For Self-Confidence, Just Nod

Don: Yaël, everyday I grow closer to my goal of mind-control.

Yaël: What do you mean, Don?

D: Check out this study from Ohio State University that says nodding your head to signal approval¹ and shaking your head to signal disapproval² not only lets others know what you’re thinking, but also influences your own thoughts.

Y: The study you’re talking about never suggested that shaking or nodding your head actually changes your thoughts.

D: It doesn't?

Y: No. The study found that if you nod your head, even if you do it on purpose, you become more confident about your own thoughts, and if you shake it, you become less confident about them.

For example, the study’s participants were instructed to listen to one of two editorials–one which was well-argued, and one which wasn’t. When asked about it later, those participants who nodded their heads while listening agreed more strongly with the good editorial³.

D: See it's brain-washing?

Y: And disagreed more strongly with the poorly reasoned editorial. By nodding, they confirmed their thoughts, positive or negative. And the same thing happened when people were asked to write with their dominant⁴ hand, and then with their non- dominant hand. When asked how confident they felt about the ideas they wrote down, those participants who wrote with their dominant hand felt more confident than those who didn’t.

D: OK, Yaël, let's try. Nod your head: yes, and I'll tell you how great I am.

Y: Give it up, Don!

要自信，就点头

Don: Yaël, 我觉得自己每天都在不断的靠近我思维控制的目标。

Yaël: 毫无头绪，你在讲什么啊？

D: 我们来看看来自俄亥俄州立大学的一份研究，该研究发现：“点头表示同意，摇头表示否定”这样的行为不仅能让别人解读出你的想法，同时还会反过来影响你自己的想法。

Y: 你所讲的这个研究项目根本没有提到点头或是摇头会改变你自己的想法啊。

D: 没有吗？

Y: 没有！那个研究的发现结果是，如果你点头（即使你是故意点头的），你会更加坚定自己的想法；如果你摇头，你对自己的想法就会有所动摇。

我们现在来举例说明： 研究人员安排参与者们分别听两篇社论——一篇论据充分，另一篇就不怎么样了（要求是：一边听一边点头）。在听完后，当问及自己所听的社论怎么样时，那些听好的社论的参与者觉得那篇社论相当不错。

D: 这怎么感觉像是“洗脑”啊？

Y: 而且，他们觉得另一篇社论简直就糟透了。由此可见，通过点头，他们坚定了自己的肯定或否定的想法。还有一个原理相近的实验——研究者让一些参与者用惯用手写东西，再让一些人用非惯用手来写东西。写完之后，当问及对自己所写的东西的看法时，那些用惯用手写的人比用非惯用手写的人对自己所抒发的观点更加有信心。

D: OK, Yaël，我们也来试试。点头！我会告诉你我有多伟大！

Y: Don，别闹了！
 

 

1 approval   

n.赞成，同意；批准，认可

参考例句：

• The audience has expressed its approval.观众已经认可。
• The teacher signed his approval.老师做了手势表示同意。

2 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

3 editorial   

adj.编者的，社论的；n.（报刊的）社论，重要评论

参考例句：

• For a full hour they argued over the wording of the editorial.他们为社论的措辞争论了一个小时。
• We now bring you the full text of the Renmin Ribao editorial.现在全文广播《人民日报》社论。

4 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。