People facing unpleasant tasks from drinking medicine to passing on bad news could ease these painful moments by simply tensing their muscles. A study published in the Consumer Research journal, found that clenching your fists temporarily boosts your self-control and willpower.
Iris Hung from the National University of Singapore and Aparna Labroo from the University of Chicago, put a group of volunteers through a range of self-control dilemmas that involved accepting short term pain for long term gain. These included placing hands in icy water, drinking watered down vinegar, watching a charity appeal and resisting unhealthy foods.
The authors found participant's who tightened any muscle at the moment they faced an internal struggle were better able to withstand pain or discomfort and to resist tempting foods.
However, if the volunteers tensed up too long beforehand they felt depleted by the time they had to make a choice.
The scientists concluded: 'The mind and the body are so closely tied together, merely clenching muscles can activate willpower. 'Thus simply engaging in these bodily actions, can serve as a non-conscious source to recruit willpower.
參考譯文:
當人們面對不開心事情的時候,如吃藥、傳達壞消息等,通過拉緊肌肉可舒緩這些痛苦時刻。目前,《消費者調查》雜志刊出的一項研究指出,暫時“握緊你的拳頭”能增強你的自制力和意志力。
來自新加坡國立大學的Hung以及美國芝加哥大學的Aparna Labroo將一群志愿者置于一系列“自我控制”困境中——長時間刺激下導致其短暫痛苦。測試內容包括,將手放進冰水之中、飲用沖淡的醋、觀看慈善募捐以及抵制不健康食物。
作者發現,在內心掙扎時將任意某部位肌肉拉緊的受試者能更好的承受痛苦或不舒服并抵制那些誘人的食物。
然而,若受試者事先緊縮肌肉的時間過長,在最終作選擇的時刻則可能也會失去良好的自控力。
研究人員總結,人體的身心是聯系在一塊的,腦袋想什么,身體就會做出相應的反應。當我們遇到誘惑的時候,如果環境需要我們短暫忍耐一下疼痛,科學告訴我們只要稍微緊握拳頭,或許就能達到我們想要的目的了。