I'd like to start with a small imagination exercise.

好的

Imagine you're sitting at this table, facing me right now.

我想從一個小小的想像力練習開始

Now, I'm going to ask you to push one of these cards towards me.

想像你現在面對著我 坐在這張桌子前面

So please imagine yourself pushing one of these cards towards me.

現在，我需要你 把其中一張撲克牌推給我

OK, so take the number matching the card you pushed

所以，請想像你正在把 其中一張撲克牌推給我

and remember it -- it's important for later.

OK，然後看看你選的撲克牌的號碼

Now, I'm going to flip through this deck of cards

要記住它，這個很重要

and ask you to choose a card that you will see in the deck.

現在，我要把這疊撲克牌很快地翻一遍

Are you ready?

然後請你在其中選擇一張牌

Alright, now that you have your card in mind,

準備好了嗎？

add the value of your card to your previous number.

好的，現在你腦中有一張牌

For example, if you chose the six of clubs, add six,

把這張牌的號碼 加上你原本選擇的數字

if it's an ace, add one,

例如，如果你選擇梅花六，那就加上六

and take 11 for any picture cards.

如果你選擇 A，就加上一

Have you got your final number in mind?

如果是 J、Q、K 的話，就加上十一

Perfect.

你有得到一個最終數字了嗎？

So please take the item matching your final number.

很好

Now, here's what's funny.

現在，請選擇與你的數字 相對應的物品

There are going to be a lot of people watching this video,

好了，有趣的事情來了

and you all have different quirks with different preferences.

會有很多人看這部影片

And yet,

而每個人會有不同的傾向與偏好

the vast majority of you right now is thinking about a kiwi,

然而

or, if you're left-handed, probably a corn on the cob.

現在，大多數人想的要不是奇異果

Yes, I just tricked you.

或者，如果你是左撇子的話 大概就是玉米

And I used your psychological biases

是的，你被我耍了

to influence both of your decisions.

我利用你的認知偏誤

I work in the MAGIC Lab

去影響你的兩個決定

at Goldsmiths University of London,

我在倫敦大學金匠學院裡的 魔術實驗室裡工作

which is not only a place where we make assistants vanish,

在這裡，我們除了會把助理變不見

but where we use magic tricks to study psychological processes,

還會透過魔術手法 來研究人們的心理流程

such as attention, perception, deception and free will.

像是注意力、知覺、欺騙與自由意志

I am fascinated by the subtle factors that influence our choices,

我著迷於這些 能影響我們決定的小小因子

and how understanding our flaws can give us back some power.

以及理解自身的缺點 所帶給我們的力量

Magic tricks provide a powerful tool to investigate this,

魔術手法則提供了一個 很強大的研究工具

and our experiments have shown that.

而我們的實驗有了以下結果：

First, we humans tend to go for the easiest decisions.

首先，我們人類傾向做最簡單的選擇

With the card trick I did,

在這個撲克牌手法中

most people tend to choose the card that I want them to choose,

多數人傾向去選擇 我想要他們選的那張牌

because I'm presenting it a bit longer than the others.

因為我展示那張牌的時間 相對比較久一些

And it becomes the easiest option for your brain.

而這張牌就成為你腦裡最簡單的選項

In our case,

在這個例子中

the majority of you probably chose the ten of hearts, right?

你們多數人大概會選擇紅心十，對吧？

And a lot of other tricks are based on this principle

而有很多的手法都是

of easy decision.

基於這個「簡單選項」的原則

Because magicians are very aware

因為魔術師們很清楚

that our brain, not to say "we," tends to be a bit lazy.

我們的腦袋，更不用說是我們自己

The exercise we did with the four cards is also a good example of this.

通常會有點懶惰

It's based on another trick I investigated,

這個四張撲克牌的手法 也是一個很棒的例子

where I ask participants to physically push

這是基於我研究中的另一個手法

one of the four cards towards me.

我會要求參與者

We found that around 60 percent of people choose the third card from the left,

將四張牌的其中一張推給我

and if they were left-handed,

我們發現，大約有 60% 的人 會選擇左邊數來的第三張牌

they typically chose the second card from the left.

要是他們是左撇子的話

This is based on the easy-option principle again,

他們通常會選擇左邊數來第二張牌

because the card that most people choose

這也是基於簡單選項的原則

is the most easy to reach by the dominant hand.

因為多數人選擇的牌

So, I knew that most of you

是最靠近他們慣用手的一張牌

would end up with one of these two numbers,

所以，我知道你們之中多數人

and this allowed me to estimate

最終會選擇這兩張牌的其中一張

the two most probable things you would end up with.

而這讓我得以預測

But this is not just about magic.

你最終猜到的物品中最有可能的兩個

It's also about how we are influenced in our day-to-day lives.

但，這並不僅僅關乎魔術

You know, stories and politicians

這還跟外界如何 在日常生活中影響我們有關

play with your mind as well, all the time,

你知道的，媒體的報導還有政客

because they also know that we tend to choose and like

也是時時刻刻在玩弄著你的大腦

what's easily grabbed or seen.

因為他們也知道我們傾向會選擇、喜歡

For instance, when you are in a store,

最容易得到跟看到的東西

choosing a bottle of wine or a bag of rice

舉例來說，當你去到一間商店

among many lined up on vertical shelves,

要買一瓶酒或是一包米時

your first instinct is to look

在直立的袈子上陳列的眾多貨品裡

only at the ones that are on the shelves in front of your eyes, right?

你的第一直覺是只會去看

It's easier and requires less effort.

袈上差不多在你眼睛高度的東西

Did you know that many brands actually negotiate

對吧？

to be at eye-level on grocery store shelves

這樣選擇比較簡單，而且不費力

because of that easy-option principle?

你知道嗎？

And this is a tactic that many politicians use.

實際上有很多品牌在合約中要求

When information is right in front of our eyes on social media,

將他們的商品放在眼睛高度的架上

it's easily accessible,

他們就是基於這個「簡單選項」的原則

and it absolutely affects our voting behaviors.

而這，也是很多政客會用的伎倆

Political outcomes, such as the Brexit referendum

當社交媒體上的資訊 出現在我們眼睛正前方時

or the American election in 2016,

它會更容易被接觸到

were heavily influenced by targeted advertising,

而它也絕對會影響我們的投票行為

making some information,

有些政治上的結果，像是英國脫歐公投

which was not necessarily truthful,

或是 2016 年的美國總統選舉

disproportionately easily accessible and visible to specific audiences

都是被這些有針對性的廣告 嚴重影響的後果

to influence their votes.

這讓某些不見得是正確的資訊

But here is the good news.

過份容易讓某些族群接觸到、看到

Some simple factors have an impact on how influencible we are.

以影響他們的投票選擇

In an experiment using the trick with the four cards,

但，我也有好消息

we found that explicitly informing participants

一些簡單的因素 能決定我們有多容易被影響

that they have a choice

在同一個使用四張牌手法的實驗中

can actually lead them to make more deliberate decisions,

我們發現，只要明確地告知參與者

as opposed to behaving in the way we are trying to make them behave.

他們能有自己的選擇

In other words,

就能引導他們做出更深思熟慮的決定

I either simply asked participants to push one of the cards,

這個決定會跟我們想要 引誘他們去做的選擇相反

or I said,

換句話說

"Choose a card, and then push it."

我要嘛就單純地要求參與者 推一張牌給我

And when asked to choose a card,

或者，我說：

the percentage of people who impulsively chose the most reachable one

「先選擇一張牌，然後再推給我」

dropped from 60 to 35 percent.

而當被要求選擇一張牌時

So, it seems that when we are reminded that we have control over our choices,

會直覺性地選擇最容易拿到的牌的人

and know that our actions matter,

從 60% 降到了 35%

as opposed to acting without thinking,

因此，看來當我們事先被提醒

we can actually make more personal decisions

我們能有自己的選擇

and are less easily influenced.

並清楚這個選擇很重要時

Let me show you another trick,

比起做出直覺性的選擇

invented by a British mentalist Derren Brown,

我們更能真正地做出自主的選擇

to make my point.

且更難被外界影響

This one uses what's called "priming" in psychology.

讓我展示另一個手法給你看

Priming happens when exposure to something

這是由英國的讀心術專家 達倫・布朗所發明

influences your thoughts and behavior later on,

可以證明我的論點

without you being aware

這會用到心理學裡「促發」的概念

that the first thing is guiding you to a certain extent.

「促發」是當你接觸到某種東西時

The trick is usually done in a more intimate context,

這東西進而影響你其後的思維與行為

where I would be directly facing you,

而你並不會察覺到 它在其中起了引導作用

but we'll give it a try together.

這個手法通常會在 彼此更靠近的情況下進行

Just focus on me as best as you can,

我會直接跟你面對面

but do not let me influence your choice.

但我們一起來試試看

I'm going to try and mentally transmit the identity of a playing card

請盡可能的關注在我身上

I'm thinking of.

但不要讓我影響你的選擇

Are you ready?

我會試著用念力傳送

OK, so first make the color bright and vivid.

我腦中想的那張牌給你

Imagine a screen in your mind,

準備好了嗎？

and on the screen, the little numbers, low down in the corners of the cards,

OK，首先請想像一張顏色鮮豔的牌

and then in the top of the cards.

想像你腦中有一個螢幕

And then the things in the middle,

在那個螢幕上 卡牌的邊緣有小小的數字

in the center of the cards,

卡牌的上方也有數字

the boom, boom, boom, the suits.

接著，中間有些東西

Did you get it?

它們在卡片的正中央

OK, so I'm going to bet that the majority of you

接著嘣嘣嘣，就這麼排列

thought about the three of diamonds,

你有畫面了嗎？

but chose another card, right?

OK，我打賭你們多數人

As you might have noticed,

剛開始想到的是方塊三

I heavily tried to influence your choice with my gestures

但最後選擇了另一張牌，對吧？

while giving you the instructions.

你可能已經注意到

By studying this trick,

在下指示給你時

we found that around 18 percent of people choose the three of diamonds,

我非常努力地試著想要 用我的手勢去影響你的選擇

and nearly 40 percent choose the three of any suit,

在研究這個手法後

while being completely oblivious of the fact I was manipulating them.

我們發現大概有 18% 的人 會選擇方塊三

So what happened here?

然後有接近 40% 的人會選擇數字三

Because you were aware

完全不知道我正在操弄他們

that I was trying to influence your choice,

所以，發生什麼事了？

you probably paid more attention to what I was doing.

因為你事先知道我試著要影響你的選擇

And this led the majority of you to choose more consciously

你大概會更注意我的行為

than our participants who have no information

而這讓你們之中的多數人 更有意識的做出抉擇

about who I am, what I'm studying

相較於另一群沒有背景資訊

or what I'm trying to do with their minds.

不知道我是誰，我在研究什麼

So the thing is,

或是我想對他們的大腦 做些什麼的人

in all of our experiments,

所以，結果是

we managed to heavily influence people's card choices,

在我們所有的實驗中

while they report feeling completely free and in control of their choice.

我們設法對人們的選擇產生很大的影響

And this lack of self-awareness

他們卻認為這完全是 出自於他們自身的意志

makes politicians, companies

而像這樣子的缺乏自我意識

and other people's influence all the more powerful,

就會讓一些政客、企業與其他的人

because we might think we are in control of our choice and beliefs

更具有影響力

when we are not.

因為我們可能以為 我們的選擇與信仰掌握在自己手中

Politically or in our consumer behaviors,

但有時候事實卻不然

if we don't pay attention,

在我們做出政治或消費行為時

misleading content or showy ads can just trick our mind.

如果我們不能更加謹慎

What if, in our day-to-day lives,

誤導性的內容，或誇大不實的廣告 就能騙過我們的大腦

we would stop more often and consciously choose

在日常生活中

before acting on this impulsive, reactive beast inside of us?

要是我們能更常停下來

We can actually act more consciously

不受心裡這頭衝動的野獸所控制 而做出更有意識的抉擇呢？

if we keep in mind

我們能真正地做出更有意識的選擇

that we have the capacity to be influenced.

但要謹記

Thank you.

我們是很容易會被外界影響的