A recent study suggests that washing our hands after making a decision can keep
us from second-guessing our choice.
目前的一項研究顯示，在做決定之後洗洗手能防止我們對已經做出的選擇放馬後炮。
Wash Away Your Doubt
We’ve all agonized over difficult decisions. Go to college or backpack around Europe? Buy or rent? Apple pie or death by chocolate?
Well, agonize no more—because a study in the journal Science suggests that simply washing your hands after making a tough choice can keep you from second-guessing.
Washing your hands of a situation is a powerful metaphor. But scientists got to wondering, could it be something more? Previous studies had shown that washing can remove the guilt people feel about past misdeeds. But is that because the brain somehow links physical and moral cleanliness? Or because ablution washes away the past?
To find out, psychologists removed any moral implications from a forced decision. They asked students to choose between things like a pair of CDs or two flavors of jam.
They found that subjects who washed their hands right after making their choice didn't look back. They made peace with their picks and moved on—whereas those who didn't have access to soap spent more time trying to justify which jam they took home.
So if you want to avoid rethinking the past, lather and rinse. And if necessary, repeat.
洗掉你的疑慮
在做困難的決定之前，我們都曾經很焦慮。比如說，是上大學呢？還是背包去歐洲旅遊？租呢還是買呢？是吃蘋果派呢, 還是寧死也吃巧克力？
好了，你從此不用再焦慮了----因為發表在《科學》（Science）雜誌上的一項研究認為，在做出一個艱難的決定之後，只需要洗洗手就能避免你事後再放馬後炮。對某種情況洗手是一個強有力的暗喻。但是，科學家們想知道，這是不是意味著其他的東西呢？以前的研究表明，洗手能除去人們對過去的錯誤行為所感受到的負疚。不過，這是不是因為大腦在某種程度上把身體的乾淨和道德的聖潔聯繫在一起了呢？或者是不是因為沐浴能洗掉過去？
為了找出答案，心理學家們從必須做出的決定中去掉了任何可能存在的道德因素。他們讓學生從兩張CD中選擇一張，或者從兩種不同口味的果醬中選擇其中的一種。
心理學家們發現，當受試在做出決定後立即洗手，他們就不會再顧他們的決定了。他們會認可自己的選擇，然後繼續下去----不過那些不能找到香皂洗手的人會花更多的時間來決策該帶哪種果醬回家。
所以，如果你想避免反思過去的話，打上香皂洗洗手吧！如果有必要的話，多洗幾遍。
Vocabulary:
Agonize：苦苦思索；焦慮不已
second-guess：事後批評（或品評）；耍事後聰明
Backpack：背包旅行
Metaphor：隱喻；暗喻
Misdeed：惡行；不義之舉
Moral：道德的
Ablution：沐浴；洗手
Psychologist：心理學家
Implication：暗指；含義
Jam：果醬
Justify：證明...正確
Lather：給…塗上皂沫；用皂沫覆蓋
Rinse：（用清水）沖洗
英語原文來自SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN《科學美國人》http://www.sciam.com 作者：Karen Hopkin
目前的一項研究顯示，在做決定之後洗洗手能防止我們對已經做出的選擇放馬後炮。
Wash Away Your Doubt
We’ve all agonized over difficult decisions. Go to college or backpack around Europe? Buy or rent? Apple pie or death by chocolate?
Well, agonize no more—because a study in the journal Science suggests that simply washing your hands after making a tough choice can keep you from second-guessing.
Washing your hands of a situation is a powerful metaphor. But scientists got to wondering, could it be something more? Previous studies had shown that washing can remove the guilt people feel about past misdeeds. But is that because the brain somehow links physical and moral cleanliness? Or because ablution washes away the past?
To find out, psychologists removed any moral implications from a forced decision. They asked students to choose between things like a pair of CDs or two flavors of jam.
They found that subjects who washed their hands right after making their choice didn't look back. They made peace with their picks and moved on—whereas those who didn't have access to soap spent more time trying to justify which jam they took home.
So if you want to avoid rethinking the past, lather and rinse. And if necessary, repeat.
洗掉你的疑慮
在做困難的決定之前，我們都曾經很焦慮。比如說，是上大學呢？還是背包去歐洲旅遊？租呢還是買呢？是吃蘋果派呢, 還是寧死也吃巧克力？
好了，你從此不用再焦慮了----因為發表在《科學》（Science）雜誌上的一項研究認為，在做出一個艱難的決定之後，只需要洗洗手就能避免你事後再放馬後炮。對某種情況洗手是一個強有力的暗喻。但是，科學家們想知道，這是不是意味著其他的東西呢？以前的研究表明，洗手能除去人們對過去的錯誤行為所感受到的負疚。不過，這是不是因為大腦在某種程度上把身體的乾淨和道德的聖潔聯繫在一起了呢？或者是不是因為沐浴能洗掉過去？
為了找出答案，心理學家們從必須做出的決定中去掉了任何可能存在的道德因素。他們讓學生從兩張CD中選擇一張，或者從兩種不同口味的果醬中選擇其中的一種。
心理學家們發現，當受試在做出決定後立即洗手，他們就不會再顧他們的決定了。他們會認可自己的選擇，然後繼續下去----不過那些不能找到香皂洗手的人會花更多的時間來決策該帶哪種果醬回家。
所以，如果你想避免反思過去的話，打上香皂洗洗手吧！如果有必要的話，多洗幾遍。
Vocabulary:
Agonize：苦苦思索；焦慮不已
second-guess：事後批評（或品評）；耍事後聰明
Backpack：背包旅行
Metaphor：隱喻；暗喻
Misdeed：惡行；不義之舉
Moral：道德的
Ablution：沐浴；洗手
Psychologist：心理學家
Implication：暗指；含義
Jam：果醬
Justify：證明...正確
Lather：給…塗上皂沫；用皂沫覆蓋
Rinse：（用清水）沖洗
英語原文來自SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN《科學美國人》http://www.sciam.com 作者：Karen Hopkin
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