|
Study: 10-minute daily chat improves memory
A team of US psychologists have found that talking to another person for 10 minutes a day improves memory.
Researchers discovered that "socializing was just as effective as moretraditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory andintellectual performance," lead author Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist atthe University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in astatement.
In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3,610 people, ages 24 to 96.
They found that the higher their level of social interaction, thebetter their cognitive functioning. Social interaction included gettingtogether or having phone chats with relatives, friends and neighbors.
In another experiment, the researchers conducted lab tests on 76college students, ages 18 to 21, to assess how social interactions andintellectual exercises affected the results of memory and mentalperformance tests.
The students were divided into threegroups: The social interaction group had a discussion of a social issuefor 10 minutes before taking the tests; the intellectual activitiesgroup completed three tasks (including a reading comprehension exerciseand a crossword puzzle) before the tests; and a control group watched a10-minute clip of the Seinfeld television show.
"We foundthat short-term social interaction lasting for just 10 minutes boostedparticipants’ intellectual performance as much as engaging in so-called‘intellectual’ activities for the same amount of time," Ybarra said.
The study was expected to be published in the February 2008 issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
美国心理学家近日发现,每天与人交谈十分钟能够提高记忆力。
该研究报告的的主要撰写者、密歇根大学社会研究所的心理学家奥栓•依芭拉在报告中阐述了这一研究发现。她说:“社会交往与传统的思维训练方式对于提高记忆力和智力表现具有同样效果。”
研究人员调查分析了3610名年龄在24岁至96岁之间的研究对象的相关数据。
他们发现,社会交往越多的人认知表现越好。聚会、与亲戚、朋友或邻居进行电话交谈都属于社会交往范畴。
研究人员另外对76名年龄在18岁至21岁间的大学生进行了一项实验室测试,以了解社会交往与智力训练是如何影响他们的记忆效果及智力测试结果的。
研究人员将这些学生分为三组。在测试开始前,“社会交往组”就某一社会问题进行了十分钟的讨论;“智力训练组”完成了三个任务(其中包括一个阅读理解和一个拼字谜);而对照组则观看了一个十分钟的《宋飞传》剪辑。
依芭拉说:“我们发现,仅十分钟的短期社会交往就能提高研究对象的智力表现,其效果与同等时间的“智力”训练完全相同。”
该研究结果将在明年二月的《个性与社会心理报告》中发表。
大学生创业之路难 资金不足是关键
Graduates can only dream of being boss
Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead.
But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that - dreams.
The Shanghai Municipal Employment Promotion Center poll of 1,276graduates in several universities and colleges in the city, releasedlast Friday, showed 59.78 percent of respondents considered thepossibility of setting up a company or at least a small store.
"But they just stop at the ‘thinking’ stage," it stated.
Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity.
They also listed lack of business experience and social networks, theneed for advanced study and objections from family members as factorsthat stood in their way.
More than 90 percent of theinterviewees said they would rather take up a job after graduating andthen consider starting their own business two or three years down theroad.
Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai InternationalStudies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his ownboss last year.
But he is looking for a job first. "If Ifail to find a satisfying job, I would like to establish a company inexhibition services," Guo said.
The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant.
With their help, Guo hopes to produce exhibition brochures at arelatively low price. He is also confident that his English languageskills can help him do well in the industry.
"Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said.
Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason drivingmore university students to set up a business right after theirgraduation.
The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed.
"Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added.
面对目前严峻的就业形势,应届大学毕业生们纷纷做起了“创业梦”。
但近妈养我一项调查表明,大学生们的“创业梦”因得不到应有的支持,还仅仅是个“梦”而已。
上海市就业促进中心对上海几所大专及本科院校的共1276名毕业生进行了调查。上周五公布的调查结果显示,59.78%的受访大学生表示可能会考虑开一家公司或至少开个小店。
“但目前他们还只停留在’想’的阶段。”
受访大学生认为,阻碍大学生创业的最主要原因是资金不足和没有好的创业方向。
此外,经验不足、缺乏社会关系、需要继续深造以及家人反对也是阻碍创业的主要因素。
超过90%的受访者称,他们打算毕业后先找份工作,干个两三年后再自己创业。
上海外国语大学英语专业四年级学生郭兵去年有了“自己当老板”的想法。
但他现在正在找工作。他说:“如果找不到满意的工作,我打算开一家提供展会服务的公司。”
郭兵是上海本地人,他的一些亲戚在当地的一家印玩厂工作。
郭兵希望通过亲戚的帮助,能以较低的成本印玩展商手册。此外,小郭认为自己精通英语也是做好这一行的有利条件。
他说:“社会关系是创业成功的一个重要因素。”
小郭说,严峻的就业形势是越来越多的大学生一毕业就走上创业之路的主要原因。
调查表明,大多数家长愿为子女创业提供帮助。
小郭说:“赢得了家人的支持,就成功了一半。” |
|