研究：用外語思考會(huì)讓人更理性

Got a difficult decision to make? Why not mull it over auf deutsch?

面臨艱難的抉擇?為什么不試試用德語來思考?

A new study suggested that people are prone to make more sound, less risky decisions if they are thinking in a language other than their native tongue.

一項(xiàng)新的研究結(jié)果顯示，當(dāng)人們用母語之外的語言思考的時(shí)候，往往更能做出理智而非輕率的決定。

The series of experiments, conducted by Boaz Keysar of the University of Chicago, led the scientists to believe that ‘using a foreign language reduces decision-making bias,’ Dr Keysar’s team wrote.

美國芝加哥大學(xué)的寶姿·凱莎教授帶領(lǐng)其學(xué)生進(jìn)行了相關(guān)研究，他們的研究成果向科學(xué)界證實(shí)——如凱莎教授的研究團(tuán)隊(duì)在發(fā)表的文章中所述——“使用外語能夠減少?zèng)Q策過程中的母語偏見。”

Their findings, published in an April 18 Psychological Science study, say that human reasoning is shaped by both systematic, rational ideas, and another that’s emotionally-charged and rapid.

他們的研究報(bào)告刊登在4月18日的《心理科學(xué)研究》中，報(bào)告指出，人的邏輯思維分成兩個(gè)部分，其一是系統(tǒng)的、理性的思維，另一種是情感充裕、迅速的思維。

The team gathered 54 UC students who knew Spanish as a second language to place bets on a coin toss.

研究團(tuán)隊(duì)對芝加哥大學(xué)內(nèi)54名以西班牙語為第二語言的學(xué)生進(jìn)行了調(diào)查，參加實(shí)驗(yàn)的學(xué)生被要求參加猜硬幣正反面的游戲。

Each student was given $15 in dollar bills, and could bet $1 at a time on either heads or tails. If they bet and won, they could win $1.50, and lost nothing if they did not bet.

每名參與調(diào)查的學(xué)生都有15美元可下注，每次用1美元猜拋出的硬幣是正面還是反面。如果他們猜對了，就可以贏得1.5美元。如果他們不下注，就不會(huì)損失任何錢。

When they were given the experiment in English, the students acted narrow-mindedly, and took the bet only about half of the time.

當(dāng)這些學(xué)生們在實(shí)驗(yàn)過程中說英語的時(shí)候，他們思路狹窄，在游戲中有一半的時(shí)間內(nèi)并沒有下注。

But when the same students heard instructions in Spanish, they bet 74 per cent of the time.

但是當(dāng)研究者們用西班牙語講述游戲規(guī)則的時(shí)候，這些參與調(diào)查的學(xué)生在游戲74%的時(shí)間里都愿意下注。

The conclusion, then, these scientists believe, is that thinking in a foreign language distances people from snap emotional decisions, allowing decisions to be more logical.

研究者們相信，這項(xiàng)實(shí)驗(yàn)證明，使用外語思考能夠避免人們在做決定時(shí)感情用事，過于輕率，從而使人們做出更符合邏輯的決定。

The hope, they wrote, is that people can think in foreign languages to make more prudent financial and economic decisions.

研究人們表示，他們希望人們在進(jìn)行金融和經(jīng)濟(jì)方面的決策時(shí)，通過運(yùn)用外語思考來做出更理智的決定。