TED經典演講：壓力很大時怎樣避免考試面試發揮失常？演講稿
One of the most humiliating things that you can say about someone is "they choked." And boy, do I know that feeling. Growing up, I was an avid athlete. My main sport was soccer, and I was a goalkeeper, which is both the best and the worst position on the field. You see, when you're a goalie, you get this special uniform, you get all the glory for a great shot saved, but you also get the grief when you land a shot in the goal. When you're a goalie, all eyes are on you, and with that comes the pressure.
最讓人難堪的事情之一就是你可以形容別人“發揮失常了”。天啊，我太瞭解這種感覺了。從小到大，我都是個狂熱的運動員。我最喜歡踢足球，在球隊裡當守門員，在整個球場上，守門員的位置既是最好的也是最壞的。作為一個守門員，你可以穿特殊的制服，一個成功撲救會讓你得到所有的榮光，然而，當你沒有守住球的時候也會感到悲傷。當你是一個守門員時，會受到萬眾矚目，隨之而來的還有壓力。
I distinctly remember one game in high school. I was playing for the California state team which is part of the Olympic Development Program. I was having a great game ... until I realized that the national coach was standing right behind me. That's when everything changed. In a matter of seconds, I went from playing at the top to the bottom of my ability. Just knowing that I was being evaluated changed my performance and forever how I thought about the mental aspect of how we perform. All of a sudden the ball seemed to go in slow motion, and I was fixated on my every move. The next shot that came I bobbled, but thankfully it didn't land in the goal. The shot after that, I wasn't so lucky: I tipped it right into the net. My team lost; the national coach walked away. I choked under the pressure of those evaluative eyes on me.
我清楚地記得高中的一場比賽，我為加利福尼亞州隊出戰，這支隊伍屬於奧林匹克發展項目。我當時表現得很好，然而當我意識到國家隊教練正站在我後面，一切都改變了。在這幾秒之內，我的狀態和表現從巔峰跌倒了谷底。單單是知道有人在打量我，就影響了我的發揮，也徹底改變了我對心理因素影響發揮這個問題的看法。突然，球好像在慢慢移動，我努力專注於自己的一舉一動。這個球我沒有擋下來，但好在這個球沒有破門。在這之後的一個球，我就不那麼幸運了：我創造了一個烏龍球。我們的隊伍輸了，國家教練走開了。在他人打量的壓力之下，我發揮失常了。
Just about everyone does it from time to time -- there are so many opportunities, whether it's taking a test, giving a talk, pitching to a client or that special form of torture I like to call the job interview.
每個人時不時幾乎都會有這樣的時候——有太多的機會，不論是考試演講，向客戶講解提案，還是一種特殊的折磨形式，我稱之為工作面試。
But the question is why. Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to our potential under pressure? It's especially bewildering in the case of athletes who spend so much time physically honing their craft. But what about their minds? Not as much. This is true off the playing field as well. Whether we're taking a test of giving a talk, it's easy to feel like we're ready -- at the top of our game -- and then perform at our worst when it matters most. It turns out that rarely do we practice under the types of conditions we're actually going to perform under, and as a result, when all eyes are on us, we sometimes flub our performance. Of course, the question is, why is this the case? And my experience on the playing field -- and in other important facets of my life -- really pushed me into the field of cognitive science. I wanted to know how we could reach our limitless potential. I wanted to understand how we could use our knowledge of the mind and the brain to come up with psychological tools that would help us perform at our best.
但問題是，為什麼呢？為什麼我們有時候會在壓力面前無法發揮出潛力呢？這種情況在運動員中非常普遍，他們進行了大量的體能訓練來提高技巧。而他們的心理呢？就沒有怎麼訓練過了。在賽場之外也是如此。無論是我們在考試，或者做演講時，很容易感覺到我們準備好了——覺得自己有最好的狀態了——結果在最關鍵的時候卻表現得很糟糕。實際上，我們很少在與實戰情況相同的條件下練習，結果就是，當所有人的目光都投向我們時，我們有時就會表現得很糟糕。當然，問題是，為什麼會這樣呢？我在賽場上的經歷以及我生命中其他的重要時刻，是它們讓我踏入了認知科學領域。我想知道如何能達到自己無限的潛能。我想知道如何運用心理與大腦的知識，運用心理學工具來幫助我們發揮出最好的狀態。
So why does it happen? Why do we sometimes fail to perform up to what we're capable of when the pressure is on? It may not be so surprising to hear that in stressful situations, we worry. We worry about the situation, the consequences, what others will think of us. But what is surprising is that we often get in our own way precisely because our worries prompt us to concentrate too much. That's right -- we pay too much attention to what we're doing. When we're concerned about performing our best, we often try and control aspects of what we're doing that are best left on autopilot, outside conscious awareness, and as a result, we mess up.
那麼為什麼會出現發揮失常的情況呢？為什麼在有壓力的時候我們沒法正常發揮呢？當有壓力的時候，我們會感到擔心，這一點並不奇怪。我們擔心當下的形勢，擔心結果，擔心別人的看法。但令人驚訝的是，正因為我們的擔心導致對問題過分關注，才經常阻礙了我們的正常發揮。沒錯——我們對所做的事情投入了太多的關注。當我們關心自己是否能發揮出最好的狀態時，我們常常會嘗試控制自己在各方面的表現，而那些方面的表現最好是要順其自然，不被意識控制的。結果就是我們搞砸了。
Think about a situation where you're shuffling down the stairs. What would happen if I asked you to think about what you're doing with your knee while you're doing that? There's a good chance you'd fall on your face. We as humans only have the ability to pay attention to so much at once, which is why, by the way, it's not a good idea to drive and talk on the cell phone. And under pressure, when we're concerned about performing at our best, we can try and control aspects of what we're doing that should be left outside conscious control. The end result is that we mess up.
想一下這樣的一個場景，當你正在下樓梯的時候，如果我讓你想一想在下樓梯時膝蓋是怎麼運動的，會發生什麼？很可能你會摔個狗啃泥。我們能同時使用的注意力是有限的也就是說，順便說一句，開車的時候打電話是不好的。在壓力之下，當我們關心自己是否能發揮出最好的狀態時，我們常常會嘗試控制自己各方面的表現，包括那些本不該受意識控制的部分。這樣的結果就是我們搞砸了。
My research team and I have studied this phenomenon of overattention, and we call it paralysis by analysis. In one study, we asked college soccer players to dribble a soccer ball and to pay attention to an aspect of their performance that they would not otherwise attend to. We asked them to pay attention to what side of the foot was contacting the ball. We showed that performance was slower and more error-prone when we drew their attention to the step-by-step details of what they were doing. When the pressure is on, we're often concerned with performing at our best, and as a result we try and control what we're doing to force the best performance. The end result is that we actually screw up.
我和團隊研究了這種過度注意的現象，我們稱之為“分析麻痺”。在一項研究中，我們讓大學足球運動員來運球，然後要求他們注意自己表現的一個方面，那個方面是他們之前不曾注意到的。我們要求他們注意自己用腳的哪一側觸球。我們發現，當我們讓他們把這些注意力轉移到每一步的細節上時，他們的動作就會變慢，而且容易出錯。當有壓力的時候，我們常常會關心如何發揮最好的狀態，這就導致了我們會嘗試控制行為的方方面面來達到最佳的表現。然而結果總是事與願違。
In basketball, the term "unconscious" is used to describe a shooter who can't miss. And San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan has said, "When you have to stop and think, that's when you mess up." In dance, the great choreographer, George Balanchine, used to urge his dancers, "Don't think, just do." When the pressure's on, when we want to put our best foot forward, somewhat ironically, we often try and control what we're doing in a way that leads to worse performance.
在籃球運動中，“無意識”這個術語是用來形容一個神射手的。聖安東尼奧馬刺隊的球星蒂姆·鄧肯說過，“當你停下開始思考，就是你搞砸的時候。”在舞蹈界，偉大的編舞者喬治·巴蘭欽往往要求他的舞者，“不要思考，專心跳舞。”當有壓力的時候,當我們想表現出最好的一面，有些諷刺的是，我們常常會因嘗試控制而導致表現更差。
So what do we do? Knowing that we have this overactive attention, how do we ensure that we perform at our best? A lot of it comes down to the prefrontal cortex, that front part of our brain that sits over our eyes and usually helps us focus in positive ways. It often gets hooked on the wrong things. So how do we unhook it? Something as simple as singing a song, or paying attention to one's pinky toe, as pro golfer Jack Nicklaus was rumored to do, can help us take our mind off those pesky details.
我們該怎麼辦？在意識到了這種過度關注之後，要如何保證我們能夠呈現最好的狀態呢？這很大程度上要歸結於前額葉皮層，就是在我們眼睛上方，大腦前端的部分，這一部分常以積極的形式幫助我們集中注意力，但也常常被一些不相關的事情吸引。那我們該怎麼擺脫呢？可以嘗試一些小事，比如唱一首歌，或者把注意力放在某個人的小腳趾上，據說職業高爾夫球手傑克·尼克勞斯用的就是這一招，這些能夠幫助我們的大腦擺脫這些惱人的細節。
It's also true that practicing under conditions that we're going to perform under -- closing the gap between training and competition can help us get used to that feeling of all eyes on us. This is true off the playing field as well. Whether it's getting ready for an exam or preparing for a big talk -- one that might have a little pressure associated with it --
同樣，我們也可以想象自己就在比賽現場，有意識地進行模擬練習——縮小訓練環境與比賽環境的差距能夠幫助我們習慣於萬眾矚目的感覺。在賽場之外也是如此。無論是準備一場考試，還是準備一場演講——題目可能和壓力有關——
getting used to the types of situations you're going to perform under really matters. When you're taking a test, close the book, practice retrieving the answer from memory under timed situations, and when you're giving a talk, practice in front of others. And if you can't find anyone who will listen, practice in front of a video camera or even a mirror. The ability to get used to what it will feel like can make the difference in whether we choke or thrive.
習慣於實際場景真的很重要。當你準備考試時，合上書，練習在有限的時間內從記憶中找出答案，當你準備演講時，給自己找一些觀眾。如果找不到人，也可以在鏡頭或者鏡子面前練習。適應真實環境的能力往往能決定我們的發揮是失常還是超常。
We've also figured out some ways to get rid of those pesky worries and self-doubts that tend to creep up in the stressful situations. Researchers have shown that simply jotting down your thoughts and worries before a stressful event can help to download them from mind -- make them less likely to pop up in the moment. It's kind of like when you wake up in the middle of the night and you're really worried about what you have to do the next day, you're trying to think about everything you have to accomplish, and you write it down and then you can go back to sleep. Journaling, or getting those thoughts down on paper, makes it less likely they'll pop up and distract you in the moment. The end result is that you can perform your best when it matters most.
我們也想出了一些方法來擺脫這些困擾，擺脫在壓力狀態下容易產生的自我懷疑。研究表明，在令你感到壓力的事情發生之前，簡單地寫下你的想法與顧慮能夠讓這些焦慮得到緩解——降低它們突然出現的可能。這很像你在半夜起來，突然很擔心明天要做的事，並試著思考需要完成的每件事情，然後你把它們寫下來，再去睡覺。寫日記，或者把想法寫在紙上，會減少它們突然出現並讓你分心的可能性，這樣一來，你就能夠在關鍵時刻發揮出最佳狀態。
So up until now, I've talked about what happens when we put limits on ourselves and some tips we can use to help perform up to our potential. But it's important to remember that it's not just our own individual being that can put limits and that can perform poorly; our environment has an effect on whether we choke or thrive. Our parents, our teachers, our coaches, our bosses all influence whether or not we can put our best foot forward when it matters most.
到現在為止，我講到了當我們限制了自己的能力時會發生的狀況，以及一些能幫助我們正常發揮的小技巧。但是要記住，導致我們表現不佳的不光是我們自身的原因；我們所處的環境也會影響到我們的表現是成功還是失常。我們的父母，老師，教練，老闆都會影響我們在關鍵時刻能否發揮出色。
Take math as an example. That's right, I said it: math. Lots of people profess to choke or are anxious about doing math, whether it's taking a test or even calculating the tip on a dinner bill as our smart friends look on. And it's quite socially acceptable to talk about choking or performing poorly in math. You don't hear highly educated people walking around talking about the fact or bragging about the fact that they're not good readers, but you hear people all the time bragging about how they're not math people. And unfortunately, in the US, this tends to be more so among girls and women than boys and men. My research team and I have tried to understand where this fear of math comes from, and we've actually peered inside the brains using functional magnetic resonance imaging, of people who are worried about math. We've shown that math phobia correlates with a concrete visceral sensation such as pain, of which we have every right to feel anxious. In fact, when people who are worried about math are just getting ready to take a math test -- they're not even taking it, they're just getting ready -- areas of the brain known the be involved in our neural pain response are active. When we say math is painful, there's some truth to it for some people.
以數學為例。沒錯，我說的就是數學。許多人學數學時都會感到困難或焦慮，不論是在考試，還是在算晚餐小費，而身邊恰好有數學達人在看著的時候。整個社會對談論在數學測試中表現失常或考砸了都持有比較寬容的態度。你不會聽到受到過高等教育的人邊走路邊談論或者吹噓自己的閱讀能力很差這樣的事實，但你常常會聽到有人“炫耀”他們如何不擅長數學。不幸的是，在美國，這種情況在女性身上更加常見。我和研究團隊曾嘗試去了解對數學的恐懼來自於哪裡，我們實際上已經運用功能磁共振成像技術窺探過大腦的內部，來研究人們為什麼害怕數學。我們發現數學恐懼症與一種具體的內臟感受相關，比如疼痛，對此我們都會感到焦慮。實際上，對數學感到焦慮的人在為數學考試複習的時候——他們還沒考試，而是正在準備——已知的大腦區域內與疼痛相關的神經區域就會被激活。當我們說數學讓人痛苦不堪的時候，對於某些人而言或多或少的確是這樣的。
But where does this math anxiety come from? It turns out that math anxiety is contagious. When adults are worried about math, the children around them start worrying, too. As young as first grade, when kids are in classrooms with teachers who are anxious about their own math ability, these kids learn less across the school year. And it turns out that this is more prevalent in girls than boys. At this young age, kids tend to mimic same-sex adults, and at least in the US, over 90 percent of our elementary school teachers are women.
但是對於數學的焦慮感來源於哪裡呢？事實證明，對數學的焦慮感是會傳染的。當大人承認對數學感到擔憂時，他們身邊的孩子也會開始擔憂。對於小學一年級的孩子，如果他們的老師對自己的數學水平感到焦慮，這些孩子在這個學年學到的知識就會偏少。事實是，這種現象在女孩子中比在男孩子中更常見。在這樣小的年紀，小孩子會有模仿同性大人的傾向，至少在美國，有超過90%的小學教師是女性。
Of course, it's not just what happens in the classroom. Social media plays a big role here, too. It wasn't so long ago that you could purchase a Teen Talk Barbie that when the cord was pulled, it would say things like, "Will we ever have enough clothes?" and "Math class is tough." And just a few years ago, major retailers were marketing T-shirts at our young girls that read things like, "I'm too pretty to do math," or, "I'm too pretty to do my homework so my brother does it for me." And let's not forget about the parents. Oh, the parents. It turns out that when parents are worried about their own math ability and they help their kids a lot with math homework, their kids learn less math across the school year. As one parent put it, "I judge my first grader's math homework by whether it's a one-glass assignment or a three-glass night."
當然，這不僅僅發生在教室裡。社交媒體也有重要的影響。不久之前，你還能買到這樣的一個會說話的少女芭比娃娃，拉一下線它就會說這樣的話：“我們的衣服是永遠不夠的。”“數學課很難。”就在幾年前，一些大型零售商還會把這樣的T恤賣給年輕的女孩，上面寫著，”我太漂亮了，不該做數學“或者“我太漂亮了，不該做作業，所以我哥哥會幫我做。”當然我們也不要忘了父母，那些父母啊。事實上，如果父母很擔心自己的數學能力,而且常常教孩子做數學作業，那他們的孩子這一學年的數學學習進度就會落後。就像一個家長說的，“我判斷一年級數學作業的難度，是看要花一杯酒，還是三杯酒的時間。”
When adults are anxious about their own math ability, it rubs off on their kids and it affects whether they choke or thrive. But just as we can put limits on others, we can take them off. My research team and I have shown that when we help parents do fun math activities with their kids -- rather than, say, just doing bedtime stories or bedtime reading, they do bedtime math, which are fun story problems to do with your kids at night, not only do children's attitudes about math improve, but their math performance across the school year improves as well. Our environment matters. From the classroom to parents to media, and it can really make a difference in terms of whether we choke or thrive.
當成年人對自己的數學能力很擔憂時，這也會影響他們的孩子，決定他們表現失常還是出色。但我們能在其他人身上添加限制，也能夠把它們拿掉。我和研究團隊發現，當我們幫助家長與孩子一起做有趣的數學遊戲——不在睡前讀故事或者進行睡前閱讀，而是在睡前做數學題，跟孩子一起解決有意思的數學問題，不但孩子對待數學的態度有了改善，他們在整個學年的數學能力也得到了改善。我們的環境很重要。從教師到父母，到媒體，這些都會影響到我們是發揮失常還是表現出色。
Fast-forward from my high school soccer game to my freshman year in college. I was in the chemistry sequence for science majors, and boy did I not belong. Even though I studied for my first midterm exam -- I thought I was ready to go -- I bombed it. I literally got the worst grade in a class of 400 students. I was convinced I wasn't going to be a science major, that maybe I was dropping out of college altogether. But then I changed how I studied. Instead of studying alone, I started studying with a group of friends who at the end of the study session would close their book and compete for the right answer. We learned to practice under stress. If you could've looked inside my brain during that first midterm exam, you likely would've seen a neural pain response a lot like the math-anxious individuals I study. It was probably there during the stressful study situation as well. But when I walked into the final, my mind was quiet, and I actually got one of the highest grades in the entire class. It wasn't just about learning the material; it was about learning how to overcome my limits when it mattered most.
撇開我高中的足球比賽，說說我剛進入大學的事吧。我學的是理科裡的化學專業，那真的很不適合我。雖然我為了第一次期中考試進行了複習——我覺得自己已經準備好了——結果我考砸了。我是400個學生中成績最差的。我深信我當不了理科生，可能連大學都畢不了業。但之後，我改變了學習方式。我不再自己一個人學習，而是開始與一群朋友一起學習，他們會在學習了一段後合上書本，然後比賽答題。我們學會了在壓力之下練習。如果你能看到第一次期中考試時我大腦的內部活動，就會看到神經疼痛的反應，就跟我研究的有數學焦慮的人很像。在學習壓力大的時候，可能也會有這種反應。但是在期末考試的時候，我的大腦很平靜，而且我得到了全班的最高分。這不僅與學習材料有關，更關鍵的是在重要時刻，學會打破自己的限制。
What happens in our heads really matters, and knowing this, we can learn how to prepare ourselves and others for success, not just on the playing field but in the boardroom and in the classroom as well.
我們大腦的活動很重要，知道這些，我們就可以學會如何幫助自己和他人獲得成功，不僅僅是在賽場上，在會議室中，在教室中也是如此。
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