My name's Ron, and your task is to choose

我叫榮恩，今天你們的任務是

the line on the right

從右邊的線條中

that matches the line on the left.

選出一條和左邊等長的線

- All right, this seems like an easy enough task:

這不是件難事

which line on the right is the same length

右邊線條中

as the one on the left?

哪一條和左邊等長

The answer is clearly three.

很明顯的，答案是三號線

[bell dings]

一號

- One.

一號、一號

- One. - One.

為什麼每個人都說是一號？

- Why is everyone saying one?

是他們眼睛有問題嗎？

Are their eyes not working?

還是我們觀察到了某種新的幻覺

Have we just discovered some new type of illusion?

不，答案是

No, the answer is,

我們僱用他們說謊

we paid them to lie.

今天我們要為大家示範一個

[electronic music]

非常著名的心理學實驗

♪ ♪

它叫做艾希從眾實驗

Today, we are going to be demonstrating

這個實驗考驗一個人的從眾性

a very famous psychological experiment

看他是否選擇說出不正確的答案

known as the "Asch experiment."

只因為其他人都這麼說

This experiment tests conformity

到底哪個比較重要？

and whether or not a person

回答正確，還是融入大家？

will say something incorrect

這裡有五位專業演員

simply because everyone else is.

我們指示他們接下來該怎麼做

What matters more?

大部份的時間他們都在說謊

Being right or fitting in?

他們會說出不正確的答案

[calm music]

但這第五位受測者

♪ ♪

是我們真正的受訪者

We have five professional actors

他並不知道發生什麼事

that have been instructed

現在他們要比對左右邊的線段長度

to do as we say.

但若房間內的每個人

Often, they will be lying

都說錯誤的答案

about what they think the answer is.

你有膽站出來

But in position number five,

說出你真正看到的嗎？

a real participant who has no idea

還是你會順應他們

what's going on will be seated.

因為這樣感覺比較不尷尬

Now, their task is to match the length of the line

讓我們來看看吧

on the left with one of the lines on the right.

歡迎大家，我是榮恩

But what if everyone else in the room

你們的工作是從右邊的線段中

gave the wrong answer?

選出與左邊線段等長的那條

Would you be bold enough to stick out

我會一一點名

and say what you saw,

從一號到六號

or would you just fit in

暴風前的寧靜

because it's easier or less uncomfortable?

讓我們開始吧

Well, let's find out.

頭幾次

- So welcome, everyone. My name's Ron.

我們會叫演員們說出正確的答案

Your task is to choose the line on the right

來搏取實際受測者的信任

that matches the line on the left.

這題的正確答案是三號

I'll just call on you individually,

三號

you know, in order, one through six.

三號

- The calm before the storm.

- 三號 - 三號

- Okay, so let's begin.

三號

- The first few times,

- 一號 - 一號

we're gonna have the actors

- 一號 - 一號

say the correct answer

一號

to gain the trust of our subject.

他們現在要開始演戲了

The correct answer here is three.

這題的正確答案是三號

- Three.

讓我們來看看受測者會怎麼回答

- Three.

一號

- Number three. - Number three.

一號

- Three.

很快地，她感到疑惑

- One. - One.

一號

- Number one. - Number one.

好吧，一號

- Number one.

一號

- Now they're all gonna start lying.

三號...

The correct answer is three.

一號

Let's see what our subject does.

你可以看到五號受測者

- One.

反覆眯眼確認

- One.

試圖了解為什麼其他人都回答錯誤

- Pretty quickly, she appears to be confused.

但她並沒有跟隨他們的答案

- One.

又一次，正確答案還是三號

- Um, okay, number one.

讓我們看看受測者怎麼說

- Number one.

一號

- Three...

一號

- One.

沒錯，一號

[tense music]

一號

♪ ♪

三號？

- You can see participant five

她堅持己見

closing one eye, then the other,

但她已經因為和其他人不同

trying to figure out why everyone's wrong.

而感到不自在了

But she's not going along with them.

這一次的正確答案是二號

Again, the correct answer is three.

三號

[bell dings] Let's see what our subject does.

三號

- Number one.

三號

- Number one.

三號

- Yeah, number one.

三號

- Number one.

天啊

- Three?

三號

- She's sticking to her guns,

她服從大家了

but she appears to be uncomfortable

她這次還是會從眾嗎？

opposing the group.

這次的正確答案是三號

This time, the correct answer is two.

- 一號 - 一號

- Three.

- 一號 - 一號

- Three.

一號

- Number three.

結果出爐了

- Number three.

從眾性

- Number three.

融入群體的慾望

- Wow.

同儕壓力

- Three.

這些強勁的社群力量

- She's falling in line.

形塑我們的行為和信仰

Will she do it again?

並影響我們

The correct answer is three.

身為一個人

- One. - One.

以及群體一份子的行動

- Number one. - Number one.

由所羅門艾希於1951年設計出的

- Number one.

原始版艾希從眾實驗中

- Conformed.

將近 75% 的受試者

Conformity.

至少選擇從眾一次

The desire to fit in.

一號

Peer pressure.

你好，榮恩

These are powerful social forces

不好意思打岔 我叫做麥可

that shape our actions and beliefs

我想請問你們幾個問題

and influence how we behave

關於剛剛的這個實驗

as individuals

這是個關於從眾性的實驗

and as a society.

在場的每一位都是演員

In the original Asch experiments

除了你，第五號受訪者

first carried out by Solomon Asch in 1951,

噢，天啊

approximately 75% of subjects

這太瘋狂了

conformed at least once.

他們全都被要求

- One.

要說出錯誤的答案

- Hi, Ron.

來看妳會不會跟隨他們的答案

Sorry to butt in, guys. My name is Michael.

妳的確跟著他們一起說出錯誤的答案

I just wanted to kind of ask you a few questions

妳為何這麼做？

about the study you've been doing.

我心想，一定有什麼我不知道的事

This is a study on conformity.

我不知道該如何是好

And everyone in this room is an actor--

所以我就跟著他們一起說

except for you, number five.

這麼做感覺如何？

- Oh, my God!

這感覺就像...

Oh, my God!

我在盲目地跟隨其他人

This is so crazy.

這很正常

- And they've all been instructed

雖然令人震驚，但若妳沒這反應的話

to give the wrong answers

這實驗就不會這麼有名了

to see if you'll follow along.

因為許多人會說

- Whoa. - You did say the wrong answer

「我絕對會據實以告」

after everyone else had said the wrong answer.

對啊

Why did you do it?

但妳會嗎？

- I thought, "There's something going on here.

不會

"I don't know what to do,

至少不是絕對

so I'm just gonna say what they said."

非常感謝妳

- How did it feel to do that?

人們以各式各樣的形式盲從

- It--it felt--

其中很多還相當有趣

it felt like I was drinking the Kool-Aid, like--

經典的心理測驗

[laughter] - It's very normal.

或架有隱藏攝影機的惡作劇等

This study wouldn't be as famous as it was

都經常涉及群體的怪異行為

if it wasn't normal, though it is surprising,

藉此測試不知情的人是否會加入行動

because so many of us would say,

從眾並不是什麼特殊或不合理的事

"No, I would always say what's real."

順應本是群體生活間的潤滑劑

- Right. Right.

效仿其他人總是比較簡單的

- Would you?

因為打破傳統往往會拖延進度

- Right, no.

當電梯中的每個人都面向同一邊

Clearly not all the time, yeah.

跟著他們一起做

- All right, thank you very much.

並不代表失去自己自我

[upbeat synth music]

你只是在順應主流

♪ ♪

避免窘境

People follow the crowd in all kinds of interesting ways,

如果我看到路上有群人一起抬頭望向天空

many of which are pretty funny.

我也會抬頭

Classical psychological experiments

這沒有什麼不好的

and hidden camera pranks

因為抬頭的成本和風險

often involve people acting together in strange ways

相較於可能被我忽視的威脅

to see if others will conform.

是很小的

Now, there's nothing inherently irrational

有時，從眾性是無害的

about following the crowd in ways like those.

發笑也是件盲目的事

Conforming can be a form of social lubrication.

我們因滑稽的事而笑

It's just easier to do what someone else is doing,

但若旁人都在笑

because to break from that norm

我們也常跟著笑

would be to slow things down.

即使我們根本不了解那個笑話

If everyone's facing the same way in an elevator,

這背後潛藏著許多社群壓力

it's not like you lose your personal sense of identity

禮儀、害怕出糗

by turning along with them.

還有毋庸置疑的從眾性

Instead, you're just going with the flow

想要融入群體的慾望

and not being awkward.

讓我們來看看

If I see a bunch of people on the street looking up,

當必須將不好笑的事當成天大笑話時

and I decide to look up too,

會發生什麼事

there's nothing inherently bad about that.

我們邀請這些人來參加

I mean, what it costs for me to look up

一個心理測驗

is really low compared to the potential harm

是這樣的

that might come from me not seeing an imminent threat.

這房裡的每個人

Sometimes, conformity is harmless.

都是演員

[laughter]

除了他

Even laughter is a form of conformity.

他以為他只是在測驗開始前

We laugh if something is funny,

待在等候室裡殺時間

but we also tend to laugh

但這就是測驗本身

if people around us are laughing,

沒在開玩笑的

even if we don't get the joke.

嗨，你好嗎？

There are a lot of social forces behind this:

我叫麥可

politeness, a fear of looking stupid,

很高興認識大家

and no doubt a desire to conform--

同時非常謝謝大家今天的參與

to fit in.

為了讓各位更健談

Let's see what happens when there's even more pressure

所以想請問

to see something that's unfunny

有人會講笑話嗎？

as hilarious.

- 我有一個很棒的笑話 - 是嗎？說來聽聽

We've invited these people

為什麼嬉皮喝咖啡會燙到嘴巴

to participate in a psychological experiment.

因為他在咖啡還沒變涼(另意指酷炫的)前就喝了

But here's the thing:

- 懂嗎？ - 我懂

everyone in this room

我們的實驗對象認為這笑話很幽默

is an actor,

但注意了

except this guy.

我接下來要講的笑話完全是胡謅

He thinks he's just killing time in this waiting room

它只是一串文字，一點都不好笑

before the experiment begins.

除了受測者外的每個人都被告知要放聲大笑

But this is the experiment,

重點來了：從眾的壓力

and that's no joke.

會讓受測者一起跟著笑嗎？

Hey, how's everyone doing today?

我也來講一個

[indistinct murmuring]

一隻長頸鹿在機場

My name's Michael.

正在接受安全檢查

Nice to meet you all.

安檢人員問他

Thanks for participating.

這是你的筆電嗎？

It's important that everyone be kind of in a chatty mood.

長頸鹿回答

So here's a question:

我以為你不會問呢

anyone got some good jokes?

天啊

- I have a great one. - Oh, yeah?

你們從沒聽過這笑話嗎？

- Why did the hipster burn his mouth on coffee?

- 從來沒有 - 沒有

Because he drank it way before it was cool.

這笑話滿有名的

[laughter]

這是個從眾性的經典案例

Get it, yeah? - I get it, yeah.

即使大眾行為完全不合理

- Our subject thinks the real joke is funny,

融入的慾望仍非常強烈

but keep in mind,

那我再講一個

the joke I'm going to tell is complete nonsense.

兩隻企鵝行駛在路上

It's not funny. It's just words.

開車的那隻說：你可以換個電台嗎？

Everyone but the subject has been instructed to laugh at it.

另一隻回答：沒有電台。只有四個輪子

The question is, will the pressure to conform

這個更好笑

make the subject laugh?

笑是造成從眾行為的利器

Okay, how about this one?

這也是為什麼喜劇總會播放預錄的笑聲

Uh, a giraffe is at the airport

你覺得現在求婚如何？

going through the TSA line.

傑克叔叔

And the security agent says,

如果房子那側現在有個美女

"Hey, is this your laptop?"

我會一個箭步飛奔過去

And the giraffe says,

預錄的笑聲誘使你一起發笑

"I thought you'd never ask."

即使笑話不好笑

[laughter]

其他幾位受測者也被影響

- Oh, my God.

對著我們無意義的笑話開懷大笑

- You guys have never heard that before?

一隻長頸鹿在機場

- No, never. - No.

正在接受安全檢查

- It's pretty famous. - I didn't.

安檢人員問他

- This is a classic example of conformity.

這是你的筆電嗎？

Even when the crowd acts in a way that makes no sense,

長頸鹿回答

the need to fit in is still very strong.

我還以為你不會問呢

Okay, how about this one?

這是你的筆電嗎？

Uh, two penguins are driving in a car.

長頸鹿回答

The driver says, "Hey, could you change the radio station?"

我還以為你不會問呢

And the other one says, "No radio. Four wheels."

什麼？

[laughter]

因為我們的受測者已經從眾了

- That was better.

我們就更進一步

- Laughter can be a powerful tool for social conformity,

我需要凱蒂和羅倫跟我過來

which is exactly why sitcoms

進行你們的面談

use canned laughter.

讓我們看看這些人有多堅決

- How do you feel about courtin' right now?

他們會覆誦那毫無意義的笑話

- Uncle Jake, if there was a pretty girl

給我們的另一位演員聽嗎？

on the other side of this house,

我們剛剛在講笑話

I'd jump clean over it. [laughter]

該由我說嗎...？

- The laugh track entices you at home

- 是 - 那個長頸鹿的？ 好

to laugh along,

就是...

even when a joke might not be that funny.

提姆，我需要你跟我來進行面談

So will our other subjects feel compelled to laugh

好，沒問題

at our meaningless joke?

我猜我們得等等了

So a giraffe is at the airport.

你來說

And it's in the security line,

快告訴他

and the TSA agent says,

沒問題的，快說

"Is this your laptop?"

有一隻長頸鹿正通過安檢

And the giraffe says,

然後安檢人員問他

"I thought you'd never ask."

這是你的筆電嗎？

[laughter]

然後他回答：我以為你不會問呢

"Hey, is this your laptop?"

我不...我不太懂

And the giraffe says,

沒錯，你會需要想一下

"I thought you would never ask."

好吧

[laughter] - What?

然後他說

- Since our subjects are in a conforming mood...

我以為你不會問呢

- Oh, my God.

好笑的點是...?

- Let's take this a step further.

我不知道，我覺得滿好笑的

- Hey, I need Katie and Lauren

這是隻長頸鹿，不是人類

to come with me for your interview.

- 然後你覺得很好笑？ - 是啊

- Sure. - Let's see how committed

不好意思，但笑點是什麼？

they are to fitting in.