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【科普】为什么意志力总抵御不了诱惑呢 Why Wi
Power of Temptation Stronger Than We Think, Study Says
By Salynn Boyles
http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20090807/why-willpower-often-fails
WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDAug. 7, 2009 -- People who rely on sheer willpower to help them lose weight, stop smoking, or beat other addictions more often than not end up giving in to temptation, and now new research may help explain why.
The study found that people tend to overestimate their ability to resist strong urges, and that those who are most confident about their willpower are most likely to lose it.
Rather than rely on self-control in situations where temptations arise, the best way to stay in control is to avoid those situations altogether, says psychologist and lead researcher Loran Nordgren, PhD, of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“The key is simply to avoid any situation where vices and other weaknesses thrive and, most importantly, for individuals to keep a humble view of their willpower,” he says in a news statement.
Nordgren and colleagues conducted a series of experiments on college students examining their reactions when exposed to temptation.
In one experiment, smokers who most strongly believed they could resist the urge to smoke were twice as likely to light up a cigarette as were smokers who perceived themselves as having low self-control.
In another test, hungry students more accurately predicted their ability to resist a future tempting snack than those who were not hungry, suggesting that the absence of hunger pangs makes people overconfident about their power over food.
The findings, which appear in the upcoming issue of the journal Psychological Science, have implications for anyone trying to overcome addiction, be it to food, alcohol, drugs, sex, or any number of other behaviors, Nordgren notes.
“We expose ourselves to more temptation than is wise, and subsequently we have millions of people suffering with obesity, addictions, and other unhealthy lifestyles,” he says. “And while our study focused on personal behaviors like smoking and eating, it is easy to apply our findings to a broader context.” 本人已认领该文编译，48小时后若未提交译文，请其他战友自由认领。 WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MDAug. 7, 2009 -- People who rely on sheer willpower to help them lose weight, stop smoking, or beat other addictions more often than not end up giving in to temptation, and now new research may help explain why.
仅仅依靠意志来达到减肥，戒烟或其它成瘾行为的人往往最终难以抵制诱惑而放弃，一项最新研究或许能解释这种现象。
The study found that people tend to overestimate their ability to resist strong urges, and that those who are most confident about their willpower are most likely to lose it.
研究发现人们往往高估了其抵制诱惑的能力，往往是那些对自己意志力很自信的人在与欲望的拔河中输掉比赛。
Rather than rely on self-control in situations where temptations arise, the best way to stay in control is to avoid those situations altogether, says psychologist and lead researcher Loran Nordgren, PhD, of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
心理学家以及首席研究员，西北大学Kellogg管理学院的Loran Nordgren博士指出，保持自制力最好的办法就是远离那些诱惑，而不是面对诱惑考验自制力。
“The key is simply to avoid any situation where vices and other weaknesses thrive and, most importantly, for individuals to keep a humble view of their willpower,” he says in a news statement.
他在一次新闻谈话中说：“关键在于远离任何使恶习和弱点滋生的地方，更为重要的一点在于对不要过分相信自己的意志力”。
Nordgren and colleagues conducted a series of experiments on college students examining their reactions when exposed to temptation.
Nordgren及其同事以大学生为研究对象进行了一系列研究，考察其面对诱惑时的反应。
In one experiment, smokers who most strongly believed they could resist the urge to smoke were twice as likely to light up a cigarette as were smokers who perceived themselves as having low self-control.
在一次实验中，那些很自信能抵制住香烟诱惑的人却最终投降的人是那些自认为自制力很差的人的两倍。
In another test, hungry students more accurately predicted their ability to resist a future tempting snack than those who were not hungry, suggesting that the absence of hunger pangs makes people overconfident about their power over food.
在另一次实验中，饥饿的学生比不饥饿的学生能更准确的预测其对零食的抵抗力，这表明当人们不饿时，他们会对自己抵抗食物的能力过于自信。
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作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2010-11-19 05:11
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