We Like a Winning Face
We like to think we’re pretty sophisticated when it comes to voting for politicians. Oh, sure, we’ve all heard that the taller guy usually wins. But we’re being smart—we consider their policies and positions.
Or maybe not. Researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland say our decisions are often based on appearance—and that we’re no different from children. The finding appears in the February 27 issue of the journal Science.
Scientists took photos of the winner and the runner -up from a 2002 election in France. They showed the two photos to people in Switzerland who hadn’t heard of either candidate. They asked—who do you think would be the most competent?
Well, most study participants chose the actual winner. Then it was time for the kids. More than 600 children played a game involving a computer-simulated boat trip. They were asked which person they’d prefer to captain the ship. And most of the kids also chose the actual election winner.
Study authors say they don’t know which specific facial cues kids and grown-ups are using to make their decisions. Voting is one of democracy’s most important civic duties. But for a lot of voters, it looks like it’s about liking looks.
我們喜歡獲勝的面容
當(dāng)說到投票選舉政客，我們認(rèn)為自己很老練。當(dāng)然了，我們都聽說過高個(gè)子的家伙通常都會(huì)贏。但是我們也很聰明——我們會(huì)考慮他們的政策以及政治立場。
或者我們根本不理會(huì)他們的政策和立場。瑞士洛桑大學(xué)（University of Lausanne）的研究者們說我們的決定通常基于我們所看到的選舉對(duì)象的外表——這和孩子們以外表下結(jié)論沒有什么區(qū)別。這項(xiàng)研究結(jié)果發(fā)表在2月27日的《科學(xué)》(Science)雜志上。
科學(xué)家們把2002年法國選舉的贏家和“輸家”進(jìn)行了拍照（譯者注：雖然這里用的是第二名“runner up”，實(shí)際上在大選中只有一個(gè)贏家）。他們把這兩張照片顯示給在瑞士的人們，這些人從沒有聽說過這些候選人。科學(xué)家們問：你認(rèn)為誰更勝任？
大多數(shù)的參與者選擇了實(shí)際上獲勝的人。然后科學(xué)家們對(duì)孩子們也做了類似的實(shí)驗(yàn)。超過600名兒童玩一種游戲，游戲中含有一個(gè)計(jì)算機(jī)模擬的乘船旅游?？茖W(xué)家問這些兒童，他們會(huì)選擇誰作為他們的船長。大多數(shù)孩子們選擇的船長也是實(shí)際上在選舉中獲勝的那位船長。
該項(xiàng)研究的作者們說，他們不知道孩子和成年人是利用了哪些特別的面部線索來幫助他們下決定。投票選舉是民主政治中最重要的一項(xiàng)公民義務(wù)之一。但是對(duì)于許多投票者來說，似乎選舉就是“面相”。
Vocabulary:
sophisticated：老練的
politician：政治家；政客
runner-up：第二名
candidate：候選人
competent：勝任的
participant：參與者
computer-simulated： 計(jì)算機(jī)模擬的
captain：（動(dòng)詞）擔(dān)任隊(duì)長
specific：特定
facial：面部的
cue：提示；暗示
We like to think we’re pretty sophisticated when it comes to voting for politicians. Oh, sure, we’ve all heard that the taller guy usually wins. But we’re being smart—we consider their policies and positions.
Or maybe not. Researchers at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland say our decisions are often based on appearance—and that we’re no different from children. The finding appears in the February 27 issue of the journal Science.
Scientists took photos of the winner and the runner -up from a 2002 election in France. They showed the two photos to people in Switzerland who hadn’t heard of either candidate. They asked—who do you think would be the most competent?
Well, most study participants chose the actual winner. Then it was time for the kids. More than 600 children played a game involving a computer-simulated boat trip. They were asked which person they’d prefer to captain the ship. And most of the kids also chose the actual election winner.
Study authors say they don’t know which specific facial cues kids and grown-ups are using to make their decisions. Voting is one of democracy’s most important civic duties. But for a lot of voters, it looks like it’s about liking looks.
我們喜歡獲勝的面容
當(dāng)說到投票選舉政客，我們認(rèn)為自己很老練。當(dāng)然了，我們都聽說過高個(gè)子的家伙通常都會(huì)贏。但是我們也很聰明——我們會(huì)考慮他們的政策以及政治立場。
或者我們根本不理會(huì)他們的政策和立場。瑞士洛桑大學(xué)（University of Lausanne）的研究者們說我們的決定通常基于我們所看到的選舉對(duì)象的外表——這和孩子們以外表下結(jié)論沒有什么區(qū)別。這項(xiàng)研究結(jié)果發(fā)表在2月27日的《科學(xué)》(Science)雜志上。
科學(xué)家們把2002年法國選舉的贏家和“輸家”進(jìn)行了拍照（譯者注：雖然這里用的是第二名“runner up”，實(shí)際上在大選中只有一個(gè)贏家）。他們把這兩張照片顯示給在瑞士的人們，這些人從沒有聽說過這些候選人。科學(xué)家們問：你認(rèn)為誰更勝任？
大多數(shù)的參與者選擇了實(shí)際上獲勝的人。然后科學(xué)家們對(duì)孩子們也做了類似的實(shí)驗(yàn)。超過600名兒童玩一種游戲，游戲中含有一個(gè)計(jì)算機(jī)模擬的乘船旅游?？茖W(xué)家問這些兒童，他們會(huì)選擇誰作為他們的船長。大多數(shù)孩子們選擇的船長也是實(shí)際上在選舉中獲勝的那位船長。
該項(xiàng)研究的作者們說，他們不知道孩子和成年人是利用了哪些特別的面部線索來幫助他們下決定。投票選舉是民主政治中最重要的一項(xiàng)公民義務(wù)之一。但是對(duì)于許多投票者來說，似乎選舉就是“面相”。
Vocabulary:
sophisticated：老練的
politician：政治家；政客
runner-up：第二名
candidate：候選人
competent：勝任的
participant：參與者
computer-simulated： 計(jì)算機(jī)模擬的
captain：（動(dòng)詞）擔(dān)任隊(duì)長
specific：特定
facial：面部的
cue：提示；暗示