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So, Y'know, um, when you say something, and...you're like stumbling a little bit
你知道的，嗯，你在說某事時，可能會停頓一下，
because you are not uh, totally sure what you wanna say that y'know other words will find a way in?
因為你不能，哦，完全確定你想說的能否用其他詞代替。
You don't have to search hard to find recommendations
你不需要費力搜索
that using filler words like "um," "uh," "like," and "y'know" will make you seem nervous and less competent.
使用填充詞，比如“um”、“uh"、“like”和“y'know”會讓你看起來緊張且缺少能力的建議。
So you'll tank that job interview or speech you're giving.
所以你會在工作面試或演講中失敗。
And there is some research showing that using a lot of filler words reduces speakers' credibility.
有些研究表明，使用大量的填充詞會減少說話者的可信性。
But it's actually useful in some situations, like day-to-day conversation.
但在某些情況下，比如日常交談中，它確實很有用。
To set the record straight, it's not weird to use filler words. Most people do.
使用填充詞來澄清問題并不奇怪。大多數人都會這樣做。
Some frequently-cited research from the 1950s found that people slip up while they're talking about once every 4.4 seconds.
20世紀50年代的一些經常被引用的研究發現，人們每隔4.4秒就會說錯一次話。
And it's not just young people either.
而且不只是年輕人這樣。
A 2014 study of 263 people ranging from age 17 to 69 found that
2014年，一項針對17歲到69歲之間的263名受試者的研究發現，
people of all ages and genders used space-filling words like "um" and "uh" at about the same rates.
不同年齡、不同性別的人使用“um”、“uh”等填充詞的頻率大致相同。
Different age groups preferred different words, though.
不過，不同的年齡組偏好不同的詞匯。
For example, college students use "like" more often than older groups of adults.
例如，大學生使用“like”的頻率比老年人要高。
And just because those millennials are saying "like" more often
因為千禧一代更常說“like”，
doesn't mean they're destroying language or that these words are meaningless.
這并不意味著他們在破壞語言或者這些詞沒有意義。
Most of these filler words can convey important things in conversations,
大多數填充詞都能在對話中傳達重要的信息，
which psychologists study by recording people talking and analyzing the transcripts for patterns.
心理學家通過記錄人們的談話并分析他們的行為模式來研究它。
When people are thinking of what they're going to say next, that's where "uh" and "um" come in.
當人們思考接下來的話時，就會說“uh”或“um”。
These are called filled pauses and signal to listeners that, no, you didn't stop talking,
這些被稱為填充停頓，它們向聽者發出信號，不，你沒有停止說話，
you just need a second to come up with with the right words.
你只是需要一秒鐘想出合適的詞。
Some research has even shown that people use "um" more when they're being honest.
一些研究甚至表明，人們誠實的時候會更多地使用“um”。
When people are asked to say lies, it's as if they need to rehearse them,
人們被要求撒謊時，好像他們需要事先演練一樣，
and they don't do that stopping-to-think thing that makes people say"um" as often as in normal conversation.
他們不會像在正常談話中那樣說“um”來做停頓思考。
People tend to use other filler words, like"you know" and "like" in consistent ways, too.
人們也會在一貫的事情上傾向使用其他的填充詞，比如“you know”和“like”。
They use "like" when the words that follow aren't precise.
當后面的詞不準確時，他們會用“like”。
For example, people are much more likely to use it before a quantity,
舉個例子，人們更有可能在量詞前面使用它，
as in "that plane ticket cost me, like, three hundred bucks!"
比如“那張機票好像花了我三百美元！”
They probably don't remember an exact number, so the language communicates that.
他們可能不記得確切數字了，所以語言傳達了這一點。
But people are unlikely to put an"um" or "uh" in that sentence.
但人們不太可能在這種句子中使用“um”或“uh”。
They probably have a lot of experience saying the words for numbers,
他們可能有很多表達數字的經驗，
and don't need the extra pause to remember "three hundred."
不需要額外停頓來記住300.
After all, they've been practicing numbers since they were, like, three!
畢竟，他們大概從三歲就開始練習數字了！
And "you know" is used to confirm that the listener understands, or is at least still paying attention.
“you know”是用來確認聽眾理解了，或者至少還在注意聽。
Even if the listener just responds nonverbally, like with a nod.
即使聽者只是非語言地回應，比如點頭。
All this research means that filler words are meaningful and useful in conversations,
所有這些研究表明，填充詞在對話中是有意義和有用的，
even if they're not the central part of the message.
即使它們不是信息的中心部分。
So why is everyone trying to get rid of them?
那么，為什么每個人都想擺脫它們呢？
There's some basis for this advice, but it's more complicated than you'd think.
這個建議是有根據的，但比你想象的要復雜得多。
For example, one study from 2013 looked at 1380 recordings of telemarketers asking people to participate in surveys.
例如，2013年的一項研究調查了1380份要求人們參與調查的電話推銷員錄音。
For the most part, when the person calling used more filler words,
在大多數情況下，打電話的人使用更多的填充詞時，
they were less successful in getting people to participate.
他們不太可能成功地讓人們參與進來。
But there was an important exception: the people who used no filler words performed worst of all.
但有個重要的例外：那些不使用填充詞的人表現最差。
The researchers thought this was because using a ton might've made people sound a little incompetent.
研究人員認為，這是因為使用大量的填充詞可能讓人聽起來有點兒不稱職。
But using none probably made people sound robotic,
但是不使用可能會讓人聽起來像機器人，
like they were reading from a script instead of being engaged in a conversation.
就像他們在讀手稿而不是在交談一樣。
So eliminating them entirely probably isn't a good idea, either.
所以完全消除填充詞似乎不是個好主意。
It also seems like people have the worst impression of filler words if they're on the look out for them.
如果人們留心填充詞的話，似乎會對它們印象最差。
To demonstrate this, in a study from 1995,
為了證明這一點，在1995年的一項研究中，
researchers took a recording of a radio talk show caller and manipulated it in a couple ways,
研究人員錄了一段電臺談話節目的訪客錄音，并對其進行了一些操作，
either replacing his filler words with silence, or cutting the gaps out entirely.
要么將他的填充詞用沉默代替，要么完全截掉那些說話間隔。
Over 1000 participants were a part of this study.
1000多人參與了此項研究。
Each person listened to one of these three recordings.
每個人都聽了這三段錄音中的一段。
And when everyone was asked afterward to rate how frequently the speaker used filler words,
之后，每個人被要求評估說話者使用填充詞的頻率時，
they all gave about the same rating.
他們給出的評級差不多。
Unless they were told to pay attention to the speaker's style, then they noticed the filler words a lot.
除非他們被告知注意說話者的風格，才會更多地注意填充詞。
But if they were told to specifically pay attention to the arguments,
但是如果聽眾們被告知要特別注意論點的話，
listeners seemed to ignore the filler words entirely.
他們似乎會完全忽略填充詞。
When subjects were asked to rate the speaker on things like how eloquent or relaxed they were,
當受試者被要求對說話者的口才或放松程度進行評價時，
the no-gap recording made the speaker seem best.
無間隙錄音使說話者顯得最出色。
But if there were gaps, it was better to have them filled with ums and uhs.
但是如果有間隔，最好用“ums”和“uhs”填充它們。
Also, filler words can be an important part of listening.
此外，填充詞也是聽力的重要組成部分。
One 2004 study found evidence of this by analyzing conversations at a speed dating event.
2004年的一項研究通過分析速配活動中的對話發現了這一點。
Women reported liking men more when they used short, filler-word interjections like "uh-huh" and "okay"while listening.
男性在女性傾聽過程中使用短暫的填充詞比如“uh-huh”，據報道女性會更喜歡他們。
Although these signals didn't seem to matter much the other way around.
盡管這些信號倒過來似乎并不是那么重要。
And a 2011 study found that telemarketers who used these kinds of interjections while listening
2011年的一項研究發現，電話推銷員在傾聽中使用這些插入語時，
were given higher ratings of competence by a panel of participants.
會被一組參與者給予更高的能力評分。
So if you're using filler words way more than most people,
所以如果你比大多數人更多地使用填充詞，
it might not be a bad idea to practice cutting back a bit.
練習著減少一點兒似乎不是壞主意。
But there's no reason to get rid of them entirely.
但沒有理由完全拋棄它們。
They're probably helping your conversations along.
它們可能在幫助你交談。
Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow Psych!
感謝您收看本期的心理科學秀！
If you want to learn more about the psychology of language,
如果你想學習更多的心理學語言，
check out our other video about how swearing could potentially help with pain.
看看我們的另一個視頻“咒罵如何幫助減少疼痛”。
