Study: 10-minute daily chat improves memory
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A team of US psychologists have found that talking to another person for 10 minutes a day improves memory.
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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.
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j: Q1 B+ R! @5 T y7 \* S In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3,610 people, ages 24 to 96." p- U- U! @( E( A" d6 [
* L* o! {2 B$ o( @ 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.8 t7 @+ y6 T( z/ T3 i1 b
/ Z# P0 T8 Q- Y) _- N$ D- e+ } 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.
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3 e' ?" S) Q2 A+ N+ C0 o& N 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.
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$ L; O' a2 A0 h- E& `+ Z" V# ?, k7 }2 R "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.
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The study was expected to be published in the February 2008 issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
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+ y. [% W3 W0 Y$ T 美國心理學家近日發現,每天與人交談十分鐘能夠提高記憶力。4 a8 M! |' q/ w2 s7 P% e
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該研究報告的的主要撰寫者、密歇根大學社會研究所的心理學家奧栓‧依芭拉在報告中闡述了這一研究發現。她說:「社會交往與傳統的思維訓練方式對於提高記憶力和智力表現具有同樣效果。」" e) J9 _4 k" b. I6 N! a- X
6 |! U& }% ^; R7 V+ p 研究人員調查分析了3610名年齡在24歲至96歲之間的研究對象的相關數據。
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他們發現,社會交往越多的人認知表現越好。聚會、與親戚、朋友或鄰居進行電話交談都屬於社會交往範疇。
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研究人員另外對76名年齡在18歲至21歲間的大學生進行了一項實驗室測試,以瞭解社會交往與智力訓練是如何影響他們的記憶效果及智力測試結果的。
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3 @; m) s7 \ l 研究人員將這些學生分為三組。在測試開始前,「社會交往組」就某一社會問題進行了十分鐘的討論;「智力訓練組」完成了三個任務(其中包括一個閱讀理解和一個拼字謎);而對照組則觀看了一個十分鐘的《宋飛傳》剪輯。) H0 T+ M: P. K8 d3 G, ?
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依芭拉說:「我們發現,僅十分鐘的短期社會交往就能提高研究對象的智力表現,其效果與同等時間的「智力」訓練完全相同。」* j3 d$ V1 R" g% }% }: F
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該研究結果將在明年二月的《個性與社會心理報告》中發表。
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) V0 L: r$ M+ k; w2 U2 W* m0 H* j 大學生創業之路難 資金不足是關鍵
" b7 x5 d& y9 K3 ?& w; G+ i Graduates can only dream of being boss L; a- s3 I5 d8 ^0 V
( X% I* q% _5 a7 g1 I1 c Faced with a tough job market, fresh graduates are dreaming of running their own businesses instead.
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But a recent survey has showed that such ambitions lack the required support and remain just that - dreams.
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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.
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+ `+ d1 \4 X+ v) G "But they just stop at the 『thinking』 stage," it stated.
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Respondents put the top reasons for not going it alone down to a shortage of investment and a lack of business opportunity.
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7 J+ s3 T7 c" I 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.
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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.
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Guo Bing, a senior student in Shanghai InternationalStudies University majoring in English, decided he wanted to be his ownboss last year.
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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.
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The Shanghai native has some relatives working in a local printing plant.; H) ]6 r# q& c+ W6 Q& u# h
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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.% T" r) U/ W% n1 H
, X, f/ r' k+ J6 E0 f! J "Social networking is an important factor leading to business success," Guo said.3 v. ]% D2 ]6 J
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Guo said that the shortage of graduate jobs is the main reason drivingmore university students to set up a business right after theirgraduation.3 k3 e: ^) a0 d: |, H8 N! f" O
4 t i) u5 v0 c7 G# n- ?8 j The parents of university graduates are more willing to help their children start up alone, the survey showed.' ^/ Z* R1 T1 ]$ \) J
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"Once you win the support of your family, you have won half the battle," Guo added., D: s4 y9 @- m
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4 x# [1 n+ Y! z, {3 q 面對目前嚴峻的就業形勢,應屆大學畢業生們紛紛做起了「創業夢」。
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但近媽養我一項調查表明,大學生們的「創業夢」因得不到應有的支持,還僅僅是個「夢」而已。9 }, d& }: a) I9 I3 m+ H8 x" F
5 U6 C, X% U5 A, X# G1 X# x 上海市就業促進中心對上海幾所大專及本科院校的共1276名畢業生進行了調查。上週五公佈的調查結果顯示,59.78%的受訪大學生表示可能會考慮開一家公司或至少開個小店。, {/ U% E0 q% s
. d# }, E2 v+ _2 U7 T 「但目前他們還只停留在』想』的階段。」6 U7 @" c$ A$ } O4 A8 e
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受訪大學生認為,阻礙大學生創業的最主要原因是資金不足和沒有好的創業方向。
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6 e( @( ^' t3 U7 h; q1 J 此外,經驗不足、缺乏社會關係、需要繼續深造以及家人反對也是阻礙創業的主要因素。/ _, `! T6 s7 |. P( p
) k% |+ b& f( S1 E1 f 超過90%的受訪者稱,他們打算畢業後先找份工作,干個兩三年後再自己創業。
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上海外國語大學英語專業四年級學生郭兵去年有了「自己當老闆」的想法。
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* D1 N# Q8 e% O7 A5 ]) V6 y 但他現在正在找工作。他說:「如果找不到滿意的工作,我打算開一家提供展會服務的公司。」) x3 o, [1 @ j* B
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郭兵是上海本地人,他的一些親戚在當地的一家印玩廠工作。# A4 B' l( q0 }) e; v; j9 j) U
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郭兵希望通過親戚的幫助,能以較低的成本印玩展商手冊。此外,小郭認為自己精通英語也是做好這一行的有利條件。$ G$ g; X7 m' B) }; [1 A3 |6 Q
% _5 ^8 w. b; v3 f4 B0 V. `2 Y/ m 他說:「社會關係是創業成功的一個重要因素。」7 a; a2 ~% d8 b- r- F3 o- [) t
! w4 ?- D' d/ S, H 小郭說,嚴峻的就業形勢是越來越多的大學生一畢業就走上創業之路的主要原因。; \+ M; x) ?2 }" B: \
$ c: {/ S- J: b0 y 調查表明,大多數家長願為子女創業提供幫助。6 u& d3 c% B& L+ K
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小郭說:「贏得了家人的支持,就成功了一半。」 |
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