The study: In eight experiments, doctoral student Yanping Tu and three collaborators—Christopher K. Hsee of the University of Chicago and Zoe Y. Lu and Bowen Ruan of the University of Wisconsin—found that people feel more negative toward individuals, images, and sounds if those “stimuli” are perceived to be approaching them. This aversion has cautionary implications for public speakers who like to get close to their audience as well as for marketers who zoom in on products in ads.
The challenge: Are people really repelled by anything coming toward them—even if it’s a friend or a vacation? Ms. Tu, defend your research.
研究：博士生塗豔蘋和三位合作者（芝加哥大學的奚愷元、威斯康星大學的陸悅和阮博聞）在8項實驗中得出一個有趣的發現：人、圖像或聲音等刺激物的逼近，會讓參與者的情緒更為消極。這項發現給那些希望走近聽眾的公共演講者或放大廣告中產品形象的營銷人員敲響了警鐘。
挑戰：如果迎面而來的是一個朋友，或是一場臨近的假期，人們真的會排斥他們嗎？塗小姐，捍衛你的研究吧！
Tu: Our research shows that people feel more negative toward stimuli when the stimuli appear to be oncoming in space. Our experiments included a range of images, such as English letters, a poster from a Chinese opera, a happy-face emoticon, and a picture of a smiling man. What’s more, we found the same effect with nonphysical stimuli—such as a cousin’s visit or other events—that were approaching in time or increasing in likelihood.
塗：我們的研究表明當刺激物從空間上看起來迎面而來時，人們對它的反應會更加消極。在研究中，我們使用了一系列的圖像，比如一些英文單詞、一張中國戲曲海報、一個笑臉表情符號和一張笑容可掬之人的照片。更重要的是，我們發現非物質刺激也會讓人們產生相同的反應，比如一位表兄妹的來訪或者其他事情，當它們在時間上逼近或者可能性有所增加時，也會讓人產生負面情緒。
HBR: An approaching smiley face? That sounds like a scene from a nightmare. And a smirking stranger? No wonder research subjects got the creeps when these things came at them.
First we measured people’s feelings toward the images and events, so we were sure participants considered them to be positive. The happy-face emoticon was rated as 4.49, on average, on a 1-to-5 scale where 5 was “very positive.” Neutral-face and frowning-face emoticons were rated 3.18 and 1.59, respectively. The responses to the images of the man were similar: When he was smiling, neutral, or frowning, he was rated 5.14, 3.86, or 2.92, respectively, on a 1-to-7 positivity scale. In the experiments all the ratings declined when the stimuli were perceived to be approaching.
HBR:一個笑臉越來越近？聽起來像是噩夢中的場景。還有傻笑的陌生人？怪不得它們的逼近會讓研究對象渾身起雞皮疙瘩。
我們首先測量了人們對這些圖像和事情的反應，所以我們很確定參與者對它們的感覺都很正面。在1-5的數值範圍中，其中5代表“非常正面”，笑臉表情符號的平均得分是4.49，面無表情和皺眉表情符號的得分分別是3.18和1.59。參與者對男性圖像的反應與之相似：在1-7的數值範圍中，當他微笑、面無表情或者皺眉時，他的得分分別是5.14、3.86和2.92。但是，在實驗中我們發現，當這些刺激物被受試者視為是朝他們逼近時，所有的得分都下降了。
But what about the approach of a person I love? Or of a welcome event?
When I first put this interview on my calendar, I thought, “How wonderful—an opportunity to share my research!” But as the date neared, I grew apprehensive. What if I got a question I couldn’t answer? What if I couldn’t explain myself well? Even very positive things can have negative aspects, which become more prominent in our minds as they draw close.
但是如果迎面而來的是我愛的人呢？或者是一件受歡迎的事情呢？
當我最初把這次採訪標到日曆上時，我想，“太棒了，這可是一個分享我們研究成果的好機會！”但隨著時間一天天逼近，我越發焦慮起來。倘若有的問題我回答不了怎麼辦？倘若我無法解釋清楚怎麼辦？所以，即使非常積極的事情也有消極的一面，當它們越來越近時，我們腦中會更加凸顯那些消極方面。
As for someone you love: Chances are, you feel a bit more fretful as the person approaches—you might worry that the person will ask something of you, for example—but those feelings may be overwhelmed by your happiness at being reunited. So you’re experiencing layers of feelings—some negative, most positive. In our research we tried to tease apart those confusing layers by comparing people’s feelings toward a gradually approaching individual with their feelings about someone who simply stayed near. We were able to show that although you may feel positive toward a loved one who approaches, you feel less positive than you would if that person were to remain near you.
至於你愛的人：情況可能是當他走近時，你會覺得有點煩躁，比如你可能擔心他會問你什麼事情，但是，相聚的幸福感很快就會佔據上風。所以，你體驗到的是多重感覺，有消極的，更多的是積極的。我們試圖在研究中理清這些令人困惑的感覺層次，於是我們比較了人們對於以下兩種情況的反應：一個是逐漸走進的人，一個是待在身旁的人。研究發現當你愛的人迎面走來時，你可能會產生積極反應，但是如果他一直待在你身旁的話，你的反應就沒那麼積極了。
My gut tells me that if I’m speaking to a group, my listeners will react more favorably if I get out from behind the podium and approach them.
Indeed they might. It’s all about those layers of feelings. If you step out and get close to your listeners, they might perceive you as warm and friendly—that’s one layer. But an undercurrent of negative feeling will increase as you get nearer. Without being able to articulate it, your listeners might feel intimidated or threatened. They might feel you’re invading their space. Same goes for a manager walking toward an employee. The manager probably doesn’t realize that with every step, the employee feels more negative about the manager. So it is one thing to stand close to people and quite another to walk closer to them.
直覺告訴我，演講時我從講臺後面出來走近聽眾，他們的反應會更加積極。
的確有這種可能。這就是我所謂的多重感覺。當你走近聽眾時，他們可能會認為你很親切、友善，這是一層感覺。但是隨著你走得越來越近，負面情緒的暗流就會增加。聽眾可能會感覺到害怕或者受到威脅，至於為什麼，他們也說不出來。他們可能覺得你入侵了他們的領地。同樣的道理，當一位經理向員工走近時，經理可能沒有意識到他每走近一步，員工對他的反應就越消極。所以，站在人們的旁邊與走近他們是完全兩碼事。
The effect also may apply to ads showing products moving toward the viewer. If it’s a beautiful new car, the viewer might be pleased on one level that it’s closer. But on another, she’ll feel negative about its approach. To reduce other factors that might influence the subjects’ reactions, we usually had subjects view computerized images that grew larger and therefore appeared to approach.
當廣告中展示的產品向觀看者移近時，也會引起同樣的反應。如果是一臺漂亮的新車越來越近，觀看者可能一方面覺得高興，但是另一方面又會對這種展示方式產生消極反應。為了降低其他因素可能對受試者反應的影響，我們通常讓受試者觀看電腦圖像，通過讓電腦圖像越變越大，讓受試者感覺刺激物離他們越來越近。
How do you know participants didn’t perceive that they were approaching the stimuli?
In general, people perceive an enlarging image to be coming toward them. However, when we suggested to participants that they were approaching the stimuli, rather than the reverse, the aversion disappeared. We tested this on the image of the neutral-faced man. Approaching him didn’t make participants feel worse about him, as it did when subjects thought he was approaching.
你怎麼知道參與者不認為是他們在一步步靠近刺激物呢？
一般來說，人們把一個不斷擴大的圖像視為朝他們靠近。但是，當我們對參與者指出是他們正在靠近刺激物，而不是刺激物走進他們時，他們的厭惡感就消失了。我們用面無表情之人的圖像進行測試。當它朝受試者靠近時，受試者會產生排斥感；但是當參與者朝圖像走近時，則沒有這種感覺。
What about the time aspect: Should my editors stop making such a big deal about my deadlines?
The mind often treats space and time similarly. So a temporally approaching event can also be unsettling. It’s quite possible that a manager can unwittingly increase an employee’s negative feelings about a project by reiterating an approaching deadline. It would be especially annoying if the manager first scheduled a task, such as a meeting, for a time in the distant future and then moved it closer. Even if employees initially felt neutral about the meeting, the change would make them dread it. Increasing an event’s likelihood causes similar effects.
那麼時間方面呢？編輯們是不是應該不要太強調我的截稿日期？
大腦對空間和時間的處理差不多。所以，一件日益迫近的事情會讓人心緒不寧。當管理者不斷強調一個即將到來的項目截止日期時，他可能不知不覺間增加了員工對項目的消極情緒。尤其令人討厭的是管理者起初把一項任務（比如會議）安排在一個遙遠的日子，然後把它提前。即使員工起初對會議並無特殊反應，但時間上的提前會讓他們害怕。提高一件事情發生的可能性也會引起類似的反應。
What got you thinking about this topic?
I’d love to say we had an Isaac Newton moment when we discovered the “law” of approach aversion—that we saw a beach ball rolling toward us and wondered how we felt about it—but in truth, we were talking about what it’s like to be at a social event. You see someone in the crowd and think, “Hmm, that’s an attractive person. I’d like to talk to that person.” As he or she approaches, your feelings start to change. You worry, you fret, you feel threatened. We wondered: Why does that happen?
你們是怎麼想到這個話題的？
我很想說我們發現靠近與厭惡“法則”時經歷了醍醐灌頂的一刻，比如一個沙灘球朝我們滾過來，引發我們思考。事實上，我們當時討論的是社交活動上的事情。你看到人群中的一個人，心裡想，“真是個迷人的傢伙。我真想跟這個人說話。”但是當他或者她朝你走來時，你的感覺就開始變化了。你開始擔心、焦躁，甚至感覺受到了威脅。我們都很想知道其中的原因。
And why does it?
It probably has to do with evolution. People evolved to understand that stimuli pose a greater danger if they’re approaching, and we’re still wired that way. Just as, through eons of searching for food, we evolved a belief that scarce things are good, which is why we grab the last blue dress off the rack, even if we don’t need another blue dress—speaking from experience here.
原因是什麼呢？
可能與進化論有關。在不斷的進化和演變中，人們知道當刺激物向我們靠近時會帶來更大的危險。直到今天，我們依然這樣想。
How can a public speaker or a marketer apply your findings?
You might be better off starting a speech near the audience—maybe a short distance from the front row—and staying there. Show your product in close-up. Beware of moving toward people, shoving a product in their direction, or moving an event up. Their evolutionary instincts will kick in, and their opinion of you, the product, or the event will start to fall.
公共演講家或者營銷人員應該如何利用你們的發現呢？
演講家可以選擇站在一個離觀眾不遠的地方，可能是離前排距離較近的地方，然後就呆在那裡演講，這樣的演講效果更好。營銷人員可以採用特寫鏡頭展示產品，但是儘量避免走近人們，或是把產品朝他們的方向推近，或將一件事情提前。否則，人們的進化本能就會作怪，從而影響對你、產品或者事情的看法。
塗豔蘋|文 安德魯·奧康奈爾|訪
塗豔蘋是芝加哥大學布斯商學院市場營銷系博士生。
李茂|譯 萬豔|校
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