In a 2011 study, researchers followed a group of judges deciding whether or not to offer imprisoned individuals a chance at parole. Logically, one might expect things like an imprisoned person’s crime, existing sentence, and current behavior to be the primary considerations. But while those details were duly examined, one variable had a remarkably large impact: the time of day. Imprisoned people who met with the board in the morning were far more likely to receive parole than those whose cases were reviewed in the afternoon, even if their crimes and sentences were practically identical.
在一項 2011 年的研究中, 研究人員針對一些法官, 追蹤他們是否給予犯人假釋的機會。 根據邏輯,一般可能會認為 比如犯人所犯的罪行、 現行刑期,以及目前的行為等 會是主要的考慮因素。 但是,儘管這些細節 都有被妥當地檢審, 有一個變數卻有非常大的影響: 一天中的時辰。 在早上和委員會見面的犯人 得到假釋的機會遠大於 案件在下午被審查的犯人, 即使他們所犯的罪行 和被判的刑期都一樣。
This finding might seem strange, but the researchers’ explanation was simple: in the afternoon, the judges were likely exhausted. Specifically, they were experiencing decision fatigue. This kind of cognitive exhaustion occurs after a period of extended decision making and it can make people more impulsive and less confident while making choices. The dangers of decision fatigue are clear in high-stakes scenarios like this study, but it can have a serious impact on our day-to-day lives as well. So what kinds of choices lead us to this state, and what can we do to fight fatigue?
此發現可能看似很奇怪, 但研究人員的解釋很簡單: 在下午,法官可能累壞了。 明確來說,他們遇到了決策疲勞。 這種認知疲勞發生在 長時間做決策之後, 且它可能會讓人在做選擇時 更加衝動且不那麼有信心。 在比如本研究中的這種高風險情境, 決策疲勞的危害很明顯, 但它也可能對我們的 日常生活有嚴重的影響。 那麼,是什麼樣的選擇 導致我們進入這種狀態? 我們又能做什麼來對抗疲勞?
Everything our bodies do— whether physical or mental— uses energy.
我們身體所做的一切—— 不論是體力上或心理上的——
But while it’s unclear exactly what resources are depleted during mental strain, studies have found many individuals seem to have a daily threshold for making decisions. And once that threshold is met, most people make the conscious choice to “take it easy” and save serious thinking about any new decisions for another day. How quickly you reach this threshold depends on several variables, including the frequency, complexity, and novelty of the decisions you have to make. For example, choosing what to eat for breakfast isn't very taxing. Not only is this decision limited by what's available, it's also a choice you expect to make once a day with fairly low stakes. And even when you’re not quite sure what to eat, the time between this minor decision and the next one should give you ample room to recover whatever cognitive energy you expend.
都要使用能量。 雖然還不清楚在精神壓力期間 有哪些資源被耗盡, 但研究發現,許多人似乎 都有決策量的日常門檻。 一旦達到門檻, 大多數人都會有意識地 選擇「放輕鬆點」, 改天再深思熟慮,作出新決定。 你有多快達到這個門檻, 取決於幾個變數, 包括你必須做的決策的 頻率、複雜性,和新穎性。 比如,選擇早餐 要吃什麼並不會很費勁。 這個決策不僅會受限於 能取得哪些早餐, 你也預期每天得做一次這個選擇, 且風險很低。 即使你不確定該吃什麼, 這個小決策到下個小決策之間的時間 應該能給你充裕的空間,不論 你消耗多少認知能量都可以恢復。
But let’s imagine something much trickier. For example, your car suddenly breaks down and you need to replace it right away. This is an unexpected, complicated decision with serious consequences. In this case, there are countless options to choose from, and you won't find them all in one place. To make the optimal choice, you’ll need to do hours of thoughtful research to consider the various pros and cons. And since this is a decision you don’t often make, you’ll also have to identify what considerations are most important. The time pressure can add additional stress both during the decision-making process and afterward, as you expend more energy wondering if you would have made a different decision with more time.
但,咱們來想像一個更棘手的情況。 比如,你的車突然拋錨了, 你需要馬上換車。 這是個未預期且複雜的決策, 且後果會很嚴重。 在這個情況下,有無數選項可選擇, 且你不會在一個地方就找到所有選項。 為了做出最佳選擇, 你得花數小時做仔細的研究, 以考慮各種優缺點。 且因為你不常做這種決策, 你還得找出哪些考量最重要。 時間緊迫性可能還會火上加油, 不只在決策時增加壓力, 連決策之後都會, 因為你會消耗更多的能量, 納悶你如果有更多時間, 是否會做出不同的決策。
After just a single decision of this magnitude, most people would have already reached their decision-making threshold. But in professions where individuals need to make multiple high-stakes decisions every day, decision fatigue can be much more dangerous. Judges, like those in the 2011 study, often encounter difficult decisions back-to-back, with no time to recover. Many researchers are especially concerned about decision fatigue in medicine. Doctors often work long shifts full of life-or-death decisions, and some studies have found that medical workers are much more likely to make critical mistakes when working extended shifts.
光一個這麼大的決策, 就只以讓大多數人達到 他們的決策門檻了。 但在一些職業中的人 每天都得做數個高風險決策, 決策疲勞對他們可能會更危險。 比如 2011 年研究中的法官, 經會遇到困難的決策,一個接一個, 沒有時間恢復。 許多研究人員特別關心 醫界的決策疲勞。 醫生的執班時間通常很長, 且要做很多攸關生死的決定, 有些研究發現,醫療從業人員 在長時間的執班工作之後 更容易犯下重大錯誤。
Addressing these issues requires institutional changes, but there are much more direct ways most of us can avoid fatigue in our daily lives. One simple strategy is to make fewer daily decisions, tackling your to-do list over multiple days, or even removing some rote decisions from your day altogether. It’s also typically less draining to offer advice on a hard decision than it is to make that choice yourself. So it can be helpful to imagine your decisions as someone else’s before considering how the consequences impact you specifically. Finally, it's essential to remember that not every choice is equally important, and learning how to relax about the small stuff can help you save energy for the decisions that truly matter.
要處理這些問題,就得改變制度, 但還有一些更直接的方法 可以幫我們避免日常生活中的疲勞。 其中一個簡單的策略 就是減少日常決策的數量。 分多天處理你的待辦事項清單, 或甚至直接把機械性的 日常決策給刪除。 針對困難的決策,提供建議 耗費的心力通常少於 自己去做那個選擇。 因此,一個有用的訣竅 是把你的決策想像成別人的, 之後再去考量這個決策 對你個人的影響會是什麼。 最後,很重要的是要記住, 並非每個選擇都同樣重要, 學習如何在小事上放輕鬆 可以幫助你節省能量, 留到要做出至關重要的 決策時再使用。