是什么在激勵(lì)著你托享，成功后的豐厚獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)绒怨，還是失敗后的大筆賬單

照片作者: nerissa's ring（flickr）

Diets don’t work. Studies show that temporary fixes to old habits actually make people gain weight. Essentially, the dieter’s brain is trained to gorge when off the diet and inevitably the weight returns.
節(jié)食對(duì)減肥是沒有效果的滔岳。 研究表明，臨時(shí)糾正舊的飲食習(xí)慣實(shí)際上會(huì)使人更胖。 本質(zhì)上講，節(jié)食者的大腦被訓(xùn)練成在不節(jié)食的情況下暴飲暴食责蝠，這不可避免地造成了體重反彈。

In my previous essay, I shared the story of my father's struggle with bad eating habits. He had put on weight over the last few decades and despite several attempts, he had trouble taking it off. Now, in 2015, in his late 60s, he faces pre-diabetes and a daily ritual of taking a handful of pills.
在上一篇文章中萎庭，我分享了我父親對(duì)不良飲食習(xí)慣又愛又恨的故事霜医。 在過去的幾十年中，他的體重一直在增長(zhǎng)驳规，盡管進(jìn)行了幾次減肥嘗試肴敛，每每都無果而終。 2015年的今天吗购，他60多歲医男，面臨糖尿病發(fā)作，養(yǎng)成了每天服用幾顆藥丸的習(xí)慣捻勉。

But over the last five months, something has changed. He’s found a new way to resist the temptation of the food he’s been trying to stop eating for years.
但過去的五個(gè)月讓事情變得不一樣了镀梭。 他找到了一種全新的方法，成功抵制了食物的誘惑贯底，要知道他可是為此苦惱了多年丰辣。

We Took a Bet 我們打了個(gè)賭

My father and I shook on a $25,000 wager that binds him to never eat refined carbohydrates again — no processed sugars, no processed grains. Many people are shocked by the dollar amount of the bet but that’s missing the point. My objective is to never win the money. The bet just has to create a moment of consequence to disrupt the current habit with an amount large enough to be meaningful.
我用 25,000美金和父親打賭撒强，賭他再也不能攝入精制碳水化合物禽捆，不能吃加工糖，不能吃加工谷物飘哨。 很多人對(duì)賭注之大感到震驚胚想，但他們完全放錯(cuò)了重點(diǎn)。 我的目標(biāo)是永遠(yuǎn)不要贏芽隆。 賭注只不過是創(chuàng)造一個(gè)后果浊服，讓這個(gè)后果大到有分量來矯正現(xiàn)在的壞習(xí)慣。

So far it’s working. My father has lost about 2 pounds per week and his improved blood work convinced his doctor to take him off some of the meds.
到目前為止胚吁，這個(gè)辦法可行牙躺。 我的父親每周減掉約2磅的體重，因此得到改善的血液檢查結(jié)果足以讓醫(yī)生相信他可以擺脫好幾種藥物腕扶。

Why It Works 為什么可行

Admittedly, my father is just one person. His story provides little more than anecdotal evidence. However, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides some supporting evidence that putting some skin in the game makes people more likely to accomplish their goal of stopping a bad habit.
誠(chéng)然孽拷，我父親只是個(gè)例。 他的故事只提供了一部分證據(jù)半抱。 但是脓恕，《新英格蘭醫(yī)學(xué)雜志》上發(fā)表的一項(xiàng)研究提供了支持性證據(jù)膜宋，在游戲中放皮膚更能制止人們的壞習(xí)慣。

The study followed three groups of people trying to quit smoking. The control group was offered information and traditional methods for smoking cessation like free nicotine patches. After 6 months, 6% of the people in this group stopped smoking. The next group, called the “reward” group, was offered $800 if they were smoke-free at 6 months. Of those, 17% quit. From just these two groups, we see paying people does indeed provide an incentive to stop a bad habit, at least short term.
該研究追蹤了三組戒煙對(duì)象炼幔。 研究人員給對(duì)照組提供了戒煙的信息和一些傳統(tǒng)的戒煙方法秋茫，例如免費(fèi)尼古丁貼片。 6個(gè)月后乃秀，該組中有6％的人停止了吸煙行為肛著。 下一個(gè)小組叫“獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)組”，如果能在6個(gè)月內(nèi)不吸煙跺讯，就能獲得800美元的獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)策泣。 當(dāng)然，有17％的實(shí)驗(yàn)對(duì)象退出了試驗(yàn)抬吟。 從這兩組的對(duì)比中我們可以發(fā)現(xiàn)萨咕，至少短期內(nèi)，獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)組的效果確實(shí)更好火本。

However, the third group provided the most interesting results. In this group, called the “deposit” group, participants were asked to put down 150 dollars of their own money, which they would receive back if they successfully quit in 6 months. In addition, they were given a 650 dollar bonus prize from their employer if they quit. Of those who accepted the deposit challenge 52% succeeded.
但是危队，第三個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)組提供了最有趣的結(jié)果。 這個(gè)組被稱為“存款組”钙畔，要求參與者自掏腰包150美元茫陆，如果在6個(gè)月內(nèi)成功戒煙就可以拿回押金。 而且擎析，成功戒煙的人還可以獲得由雇主額外提供的650美金獎(jiǎng)金簿盅。 接受挑戰(zhàn)的成功率是52％。

On the surface, this makes no sense. Why would winning $800 be less effective than winning only 650 dollars plus 150 dollars of your own money back?
從表面上看揍魂，實(shí)驗(yàn)結(jié)果講不通桨醋。 為什么贏800美元的戒煙成功率會(huì)比只贏650美元加上自己原本的押金150美元要低？

Perhaps people in the deposit group were more motivated to quit smoking in the first place? The researchers admitted that over 85% of people who were offered the deposit deal refused to take it. However, the study authors took efforts to scrub the effect of extra motivation by only using data from smokers willing to be in either group.
也許存款組的條件讓人更有動(dòng)力戒煙现斋？ 研究人員承認(rèn)喜最，85％以上的人拒絕接受存款組的條件。但是庄蹋，研究者為了使實(shí)驗(yàn)數(shù)據(jù)更有說服力瞬内，僅僅采用那些愿意參與任何一個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)組的研究對(duì)象。

Loss Aversion, Commitment, and a Social Out 厭惡損失限书，承諾合同和社交說辭

So what else might explain the results? For one, the study authors write, “people are typically more motivated to avoid losses than to seek gains.” This irrational tendency, known as “l(fā)oss aversion,” is a cornerstone of behavioral economics. As Nudge author Cass Sunstein, wrote, “a 5-cent tax on the use of a grocery bag is likely to have a much greater effect than a 5-cent bonus for bringing one’s own bag.”
還有什么可以解釋結(jié)果呢虫蝶？ 研究作者寫道，一方面倦西，“人們通常更愿意避免損失能真，而不是尋求收益。” 這種非理性的趨勢(shì)被稱為“厭惡損失”舟陆，是行為經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)的基石误澳。 正如Nudge作者Cass Sunstein所寫的那樣，“對(duì)使用塑料袋征收5美分的稅秦躯，可能會(huì)比獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)自帶購物袋5美分產(chǎn)生更大的影響忆谓。”

There are other factors at work as well. Commitment contracts — like putting money down or taking a bet — have proven to be effective at changing behavior because they make us accountable to our future selves. People are notoriously bad at predicting their behavior due to a phenomenon called “time inconsistency.” Essentially, we punt difficult to do behaviors saying, we’ll “eat better tomorrow” or we’ll “clean the garage” next weekend.
還有其他影響因素踱承。 承諾合同（例如押金或下賭注）已被證明可以有效地改變?nèi)说男袨槌驗(yàn)檫@些舉動(dòng)促使我們對(duì)未來的自己負(fù)責(zé)。 眾所周知茎活，人們由于一種稱為“時(shí)間不一致性”的現(xiàn)象而無法預(yù)測(cè)自己的行為昙沦。 直白的說，我們不考慮事情的困難程度會(huì)把皮球踢給未來载荔，例如盾饮，我們“明天要吃得更好”，或者下周末“清理車庫”懒熙。

Tim Urban, author of the Wait But Why blog, explains his struggle with procrastination writing, “I banked on Future Tim’s real-world existence for my most important plans, but every time I’d finally arrive at a time when I thought I would find Future Tim, he was nowhere to be found — the only person there would be stupid Present Tim. That’s the thing that really sucks about Future You — whenever time finally gets to him, he’s not Future You anymore, he’s Present You, and Present You can’t do the tasks you assigned to Future You … So you do what you always do — you re-delegate them to Future You, hoping that next time catches up with Future You, he actually exists.”
等一下這是為啥的博客作者蒂姆·厄本用他和拖延癥的例子給我們解釋了這個(gè)道理丘损，“我將現(xiàn)實(shí)世界中的未來蒂姆作為最重要的計(jì)劃的一環(huán)，但每次我來到那個(gè)時(shí)間點(diǎn)工扎，未來蒂姆都不見蹤影 —— 只有現(xiàn)在的笨蛋蒂姆在那里徘钥。 這就是“真正的未來” —— 每當(dāng)未來來臨，他就不再是“未來的你”肢娘，他是“現(xiàn)在的你”呈础，而“現(xiàn)在的你”無法完成給“未來的你”的任務(wù)……所以，你故技重施 —— 把任務(wù)又委托給“未來的你”橱健，寄希望在下一個(gè)未來而钞。

By creating a binding commitment — like the $25,000 bet my father took with me — we make sure our future selves behave in line with our present goals. A website called stickK.com uses commitment contracts to help its’ users accomplish their goals. People sign legally binding agreements where they have to pay a third party if they don’t meet their obligations to stop smoking, exercise, or finish their novel, for example. The site, founded by two Yale professors, has proven effective for those brave enough to take the bet.
具有約束力的承諾，就像我和我父親的25,000美金賭注畴博，可以確北考桑”未來的的你“和“現(xiàn)在的你”目標(biāo)一致蓝仲。 有一個(gè)網(wǎng)站使用承諾合同來幫助用戶實(shí)現(xiàn)目標(biāo)俱病。 例如，人們會(huì)簽署具有法律約束力的協(xié)議袱结，如果他們不履行戒煙亮隙，運(yùn)動(dòng)或?qū)懶≌f的義務(wù)，就必須給第三方付款垢夹。 該網(wǎng)站由兩位耶魯大學(xué)教授創(chuàng)立溢吻，并證明了承諾合同對(duì)敢于挑戰(zhàn)的人頗有成效。

There’s one more important and often overlooked reason these types of commitments work — they change the language we use. When I asked my father how he manages the temptation to not cheat with just a bite of cake now and then, he told me, “I just don’t. It’s actually not a big deal anymore.” Frankly, I was surprised he is having such an easy time with it. Here’s a man who has struggled with his weight for over 30 years but who suddenly finds giving up some of his favorite foods to be, well, a piece of cake. What gives?
這些承諾起作用的另一個(gè)重要原因經(jīng)常被忽略，它改變了我們使用的語言促王。 當(dāng)我問父親如何抵御誘惑犀盟，不會(huì)是不是咬一口蛋糕作弊時(shí)，他告訴我：“我只是不會(huì)那么做而已蝇狼。 實(shí)際上這都不重要了阅畴。” 坦白說迅耘，我很驚訝他居然這么輕松就做到了贱枣。 這個(gè)男人已經(jīng)為自己的體重苦惱了30多年，突然發(fā)現(xiàn)放棄最喜歡的食物只是小菜一碟颤专。 是什么賦予他這種能力了纽哥？

It turns out that the way we describe our behaviors can have a dramatic impact on what we will and won’t do. A study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that people who were prompted to use the words “I don’t” versus “I can’t” were nearly twice as likely to resist the temptation of choosing unhealthy foods. The researchers believe using “I don’t” rather than “I can’t” gave people greater “psychological empowerment” by removing the need to make a decision. “I don’t” is outside our control while “I can’t” is self-imposed.
事實(shí)證明，我們?nèi)绾蚊枋鲎约旱男袨闀?huì)對(duì)我們做什么和不做什么產(chǎn)生巨大影響栖秕。 《消費(fèi)者研究雜志》上一項(xiàng)研究發(fā)現(xiàn)春塌，經(jīng)常使用“我不要”比“我不能”的研究對(duì)象成功抵制不健康食品的誘惑幾乎是后者的兩倍。 研究人員認(rèn)為簇捍，使用“我不會(huì)”減少了做決定的需要摔笤，從而增強(qiáng)了”心理作用“。 “我不會(huì)”是我們無法控制的垦写，而“我不能”是自己強(qiáng)加的吕世。

Now when my father goes out to lunch with his friends and dessert is brought to the table, he has a story to tell. “When they offer me a bite, I let them know it would be a very expensive mouthful,” he said. “I explain I just don’t eat that stuff anymore because the bet I made is for life.” He explains, “When I tried to lose weight before, I had to explain to people that I was on a diet. Eventually, I would get tired of saying ‘I can’t’ and I’d cave-in and tell myself, ‘just this once.’ But now with this bet,” my father joked, “I can just blame you!”
現(xiàn)在，當(dāng)我父親出去和朋友共進(jìn)午餐時(shí)梯投，甜品上桌后命辖，他就會(huì)講一個(gè)故事，“當(dāng)他們讓我咬一口時(shí)分蓖，我會(huì)告訴他們那一口非常昂貴尔艇。”他說么鹤， “我會(huì)解釋說我只是不再吃那些東西终娃，因?yàn)槲矣幸粋€(gè)終身賭注≌籼穑” 他解釋道：“以前我嘗試減肥時(shí)棠耕，我得向別人說明我在節(jié)食。 最終柠新，我會(huì)對(duì)“我不能”這個(gè)說法生厭窍荧、屈服并告訴自己，‘就這一次’恨憎，但有了這個(gè)賭注蕊退，”父親開玩笑說，“我只能怪你了！”

Here’s the Gist: 關(guān)鍵點(diǎn)總結(jié)如下：

• Creating a commitment to stop a bad habit can increase the odds of quitting certain behaviors.
• 做出要制止壞習(xí)慣的承諾瓤荔，會(huì)增加徹底矯正不良行為的幾率净蚤。
  
  
• Though not appropriate for all behaviors，the technique works because it uses loss aversion, a commitment contract, and provides a social out for not doing the behavior by changing the language we use to describe our actions.
• 盡管不能保證所有不良行為都能通過這套方法矯正输硝，但它之所以奏效塞栅，是因?yàn)樗Y(jié)合了規(guī)避損失和承諾合同，還通過更改描述行為的語言提供了社交說辭腔丧。