Some of the best research on daily experience is rooted in rates of positive and negative interactions, which has proved that being blindly positive or negative can cause others to be frustrated or annoyed or to simply tune out.
Over the last two decades, scientists have made remarkable predictions simply by watching people interact with one another and then scoring the conversations based on the rate of positive and negative interactions. Researchers have used the findings to predict everything from the likelihood that a couple will divorce to the chances of a work team with high customer satisfaction and productivity levels.
More recent research helps explain why these brief exchanges matter so much. When you experience negative emotions as a result of criticism or rejection, for example, your body produces higher levels of the stress hormone, which shuts down much of your thinking and
activates(激活) conflict and defense mechanisms(机制). You assume that situations are worse
than they actually are.
When you experience a positive interaction, it activates a very different response. Positive exchanges increase your body’s production of oxytocin, a feel-good that increases your ability to communicate with, cooperate with and trust others. But the effects of a positive occurrence are less dramatic and lasting than they are for a negative one.
We need at least three to five positive interactions to outweigh every one negative exchange. Bad moments simply outweigh good ones. Whether you’re having a conversation, keep this simple short cut in mind: At least 80 percent of your conversations should be focused on what’s going right.
Workplaces, for example, often see this. During performance reviews, managers routinely spend 80 percent of their time on weaknesses and “areas for improvement”. They spend roughly 20 percent of the time on strengths and positive aspects. Any time you have discussions with a person or group, spend the vast majority of the time talking about what is working, and use the remaining time to address weaknesses.
1. The underlined phrase “tune out” in Paragraph 1 probably means.| A．stop listening | B．change mind |
| C．sing aloud | D．be crazy |
| A．The situations are sure to become worse. |
| B．Much of your thinking will be prevented. |
| C．You will feel an urge to improve and become better. |
| D．You’ll be motivated to resolve conflicts with people. |
| A．we need a positive feeling to beat one negative feeling |
| B．positive interactions have greater effects than negative ones |
| C．our conversation should center on what needs improvement |
| D．the effect of negative feelings lasts longer than that of positive ones |
| A．Harmful Negatives | B．More Positive Interactions |
| C．How to Be a Productive Manager | D．Less Time on Strengths |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】What kinds of rooms are your favorite spots for studying? We are going to guess that they are probably not painted bright red or yellow. But maybe they should be. Imagine. You are suddenly asked to prepare for an exam. You have two rooms to choose from. One is a pale blue, and the other is a bright red. Which one do you settle into for study? Is one going to get your brain fired up for learning, or let you relax into the best state of concentration?
According to researchers at Curtin University in Australia, it might be best to camp out in the bright red room when you are looking to store information. It might sound strange, since we often think of pale rooms — soft blues or light greens — are relaxing. And they seem to be: The Curtin University study showed that pale colors made participants feel more relaxed and calm, while bright colors increased heart rate. But calming and relaxing, it turns out, may not always be the best environment for deep concentration or knowledge gaining. Reading comprehension was much better in the bright rooms than in the pale rooms. Although participants reported that they generally preferred the pale rooms to study in as an approach to relax into work, the researchers saw just the opposite — that the bright - colored rooms seemed to lead to greater concentration.
While this might seem only surprising, the findings get into a rather controversial (有争议的) area of psychological study. The Yerkes — Dodson Law says that a little bit of stress is good for achieving best performance, while too much stress negatively affects it. The higher heart rate and the reports of the bright colors creating a heavy atmosphere might just suggest that a little stress was good for the brain.
1. What is the common idea mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Pale colors appeal to all tastes. |
| B．Few people like bright red or yellow. |
| C．Light — colored rooms make you feel nervous. |
| D．Bright — colored rooms are not good for studying. |
| A．How participants react to colors. | B．Participants’ preferences in colors. |
| C．What participants read in the rooms. | D．Time participants spent in the rooms. |
| A．Higher stress leads to better performance. |
| B．Most people know how to make use of colors. |
| C．Stress is necessary when you want to concentrate. |
| D．Being relaxed is very important for people studying. |
| A．Findings about people’s favourite room colors. |
| B．Room colors can affect one’s academic performance. |
| C．Bright — colored rooms can create a heavy atmosphere. |
| D．Light — colored rooms help people feel relaxed into work. |
【推荐2】NASA has a new job listing, and it's no joke. The US space agency is looking for a "joker" to join their planned mission to Mars.
A mission to Mars is no laughing matter. On average, the red planet is 140 million. miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. A trip there would take around eight months in a small spacecraft. And Mars has a communications delay of 20 minutes. This means that astronauts will have to wait 20 minutes for a reply, when an emergency happens.
"When you're living with others in a confined space for a long period of time, such as on a mission to Mars, problems are likely to occur," Jeffrey Johnson, a scientist at the University of Florida, told The Guardian.
This is probably why NASA wants an astronaut with a sense of humor. "These are. people that have the ability to pull everyone together," Johnson said.
In stressful situations, perhaps humor is a way to know we aren't alone. By laughing together, we share our stress. Then we can focus on our jobs instead of just worrying.
There are other examples of team "clowns". One example is the journey to the South Pole led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It was a difficult journey. full of danger. Adolf Lindstrom, a cook at Amundsen's team, was a "clown". He made people laugh through the whole journey. Amundsen later wrote that Lindstrom was the most valuable member of the team.
But if you're hoping that your favorite TV comedian will fly to Mars, that probably won't happen.
"Being funny won't be enough to land somebody the job," Johnson said. "They also need to be an excellent engineer."
Besides, they must be in top physical condition.
1. What is NASA's new job listing?| A．A funny engineer. | B．A talented clown. |
| C．A good cook. | D．A popular comedian. |
| A．a full space | B．an empty space |
| C．an open space | D．a small space. |
| A．It can stop them from feeling bored. |
| B．It can promote teamwork on a mission. |
| C．It can make them feel less homesick. |
| D．It can help them know themselves better. |
| A．To tell us that what explorers eat on their journey is very important. |
| B．To prove that an amateur can play a more important role than a professional. |
| C．To make the point that humorous people can cheer people up in difficult situations. |
| D．To reveal that a mission to Mars is more difficult than a journey to the South Pole. |
【推荐3】Challenging work that requires lots of analytical thinking, planning and other managerial skills might help your brain stay sharp as you age, a study published Wednesday in the journal Neurology suggests.
Researchers from the University of Leipzig in Germany gathered more than 1, 000 retired workers who were over age 75 and assessed the volunteers’ memory and thinking skills through a battery of tests. Then, for eight years, the scientists asked the same group to come back to the lab every 18 months to take the same sorts of tests.
Those who had held mentally stimulating(刺激), demanding jobs before retirement tended to do the best on the tests. And they tended to lose cognitive(认知) function at a much slower rate than those with the least mentally challenging jobs. The results held true even after the scientists accounted for the participants’ overall health status.
“This works just like physical exercise, ” says Francisca Then, who led the study. “After a long run, you may feel like you’re in pain, you may feel tired. But it makes you fit. After a long day at work-sure, you will feel tired, but it can help your brain stay healthy. ”
It's not just corporate jobs, or even paid work that can help keep your brain fit, Then points out. A waiter’s job, for example, that requires multitasking, teamwork and decision-making could be just as stimulating as any high-level office work. And “running a family household requires high-level planning and coordinating(协调), ” she says. “You have to organize the activities of the children and take care of the bills and groceries. ”
Of course, our brains can decline as we grow older for lots of reasons-including other environmental influences or genetic factors. Still, continuing to challenge yourself mentally and keeping your mind busy can only help.
1. Why did the scientists ask the volunteers to take the tests?| A．To assess their health status. | B．To evaluate their work habits. |
| C．To analyze their personality. | D．To measure their mental ability. |
| A．By using an expert’s words. | B．By making a comparison. |
| C．By referring to another study. | D．By introducing a concept. |
| A．Retired Workers Can Pick Up New Skills |
| B．Old People Should Take Challenging Jobs |
| C．Your Tough Job Might Help Keep You Sharp |
| D．Cognitive Function May Decline As You Age |
