自言自語其實沒那么可怕

　　How and when you self-talk can increase your concentration and improve performance.

　　In the privacy of our minds, we all talk to ourselves an inner monologue that might seem rather pointless. As one scientific paper on self-talk asks: What can we tell ourselves that we dont already know? But as that study and others go on to show, the act of giving ourselves mental messages can help us learn and perform at our best. Researchers have identified the most effective forms of self-talk, collected here so that the next time you talk to yourself, you know exactly what you should say.

　　Self-talk isnt just motivational messages like You can do it! or Almost there, although this internal cheering section can give us confidence. A review of more than two dozen studies, published last year in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, found that theres another kind of mental message that is even more useful, called instructional self-talk. This is the kind of running commentary we engage in when were carrying out a difficult task, especially one thats unfamiliar to us. Think about when you were first learning to drive. Your self-talk might have gone something like this: Foot on the gas pedal, hands on the wheel, slow down for the curve here, now put your blinker on

　　Over time, of course, giving yourself instructions becomes unnecessary but while youre learning, it does three important things. First, it enhances our attention, focusing us on the important elements of the task and screening out distractions. Second, it helps us regulate our effort and make decisions about what to do, how to do it, and when. And third, self-talk allows us to control our cognitive and emotional reactions, steadying us so we stay on task.

　　In a recent study of students learning to throw darts in a gym class, Athanasios Kolovelonis and his colleagues at the University of Thessaly in Greece found that self-talk is most effective when incorporated into a cycle of thought and action. First comes forethought, when you set a goal for yourself and make a plan for how to get there. Thats followed by performance, when you enact the plan to the best of your ability. Last comes self-reflection, when you carefully evaluate what youve done and adjust your plan for the next time.

　　Self-talk can play a key part in this cycle. During the forethought phase, consider carefully what youll say to yourself. You can even write out a script. Repeat these self-instructions during the performance phase. With practice, you may find that your self-instructions become abbreviated; research has found that these so-called cue words can become powerful signals. In a study of elite sprinters, for example, the runners spoke certain words to themselves at certain times: push during the acceleration phase of the sprint, heel during the maximum-speed phase, and claw during the endurance phase. When they used these cue words, the athletes ran faster.

　　After the action is over, consider how you might change your self-talk to improve your performance next timeso that at the moment it matters, the right words are ringing in your ears.

　　重點詞匯：

　　commentary n. 評論;注釋;評注;說明

　　carry out 執行;貫徹

　　be unfamiliar to 與不熟悉

　　enhance v. 加強;提高

　　screen out 篩選

　　distraction n. 注意力分散;消遣;心煩意亂

　　steady v. 穩固;使穩定 adj. 穩定的;沉著的

　　stay on 繼續停留;保持

　　enact v. 頒布;制定法律

　　forethought n. n. 深謀遠慮;先見;考慮將來

　　abbreviated adj. 簡短的;小型的

　　cue words 提示語

　　ring in ones ears 在耳邊回蕩

　　Question time:

　　1. What is self-talk indeed?

　　2. Whats the benefit of self-talk according to the passage?

　　自言自語其實沒那么可怕

　　How and when you self-talk can increase your concentration and improve performance.

　　In the privacy of our minds, we all talk to ourselves an inner monologue that might seem rather pointless. As one scientific paper on self-talk asks: What can we tell ourselves that we dont already know? But as that study and others go on to show, the act of giving ourselves mental messages can help us learn and perform at our best. Researchers have identified the most effective forms of self-talk, collected here so that the next time you talk to yourself, you know exactly what you should say.

　　Self-talk isnt just motivational messages like You can do it! or Almost there, although this internal cheering section can give us confidence. A review of more than two dozen studies, published last year in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, found that theres another kind of mental message that is even more useful, called instructional self-talk. This is the kind of running commentary we engage in when were carrying out a difficult task, especially one thats unfamiliar to us. Think about when you were first learning to drive. Your self-talk might have gone something like this: Foot on the gas pedal, hands on the wheel, slow down for the curve here, now put your blinker on

　　Over time, of course, giving yourself instructions becomes unnecessary but while youre learning, it does three important things. First, it enhances our attention, focusing us on the important elements of the task and screening out distractions. Second, it helps us regulate our effort and make decisions about what to do, how to do it, and when. And third, self-talk allows us to control our cognitive and emotional reactions, steadying us so we stay on task.

　　In a recent study of students learning to throw darts in a gym class, Athanasios Kolovelonis and his colleagues at the University of Thessaly in Greece found that self-talk is most effective when incorporated into a cycle of thought and action. First comes forethought, when you set a goal for yourself and make a plan for how to get there. Thats followed by performance, when you enact the plan to the best of your ability. Last comes self-reflection, when you carefully evaluate what youve done and adjust your plan for the next time.

　　Self-talk can play a key part in this cycle. During the forethought phase, consider carefully what youll say to yourself. You can even write out a script. Repeat these self-instructions during the performance phase. With practice, you may find that your self-instructions become abbreviated; research has found that these so-called cue words can become powerful signals. In a study of elite sprinters, for example, the runners spoke certain words to themselves at certain times: push during the acceleration phase of the sprint, heel during the maximum-speed phase, and claw during the endurance phase. When they used these cue words, the athletes ran faster.

　　After the action is over, consider how you might change your self-talk to improve your performance next timeso that at the moment it matters, the right words are ringing in your ears.

　　重點詞匯：

　　commentary n. 評論;注釋;評注;說明

　　carry out 執行;貫徹

　　be unfamiliar to 與不熟悉

　　enhance v. 加強;提高

　　screen out 篩選

　　distraction n. 注意力分散;消遣;心煩意亂

　　steady v. 穩固;使穩定 adj. 穩定的;沉著的

　　stay on 繼續停留;保持

　　enact v. 頒布;制定法律

　　forethought n. n. 深謀遠慮;先見;考慮將來

　　abbreviated adj. 簡短的;小型的

　　cue words 提示語

　　ring in ones ears 在耳邊回蕩

　　Question time:

　　1. What is self-talk indeed?

　　2. Whats the benefit of self-talk according to the passage?