BBC随身英语｜为什么我们的大脑喜欢清单思维？

Why our brains love lists

Productivity can be a struggle for many of us. Overflowing email inboxes, housework, social obligations – it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. However, one simple tool that can help us stay on top of everything is the to-do list. Write it down, do the tasks and cross them off – simple!

There are three key reasons why lists are beneficial, according to psychologist and author David Cohen. Firstly, they help to drown out the chaos and anxiety that comes with having never-ending tasks. By writing everything down, we don't have to rely on our memory and can instead focus on the task at hand. Secondly, lists provide structure and guidance, giving us a plan to follow. As well as this, our brains are more likely to retain information that is presented in a structured and organised manner. And finally, lists serve as proof of what we have achieved, which can help boost our sense of accomplishment and motivation.

Another possible reason our brains love lists is because of something called the 'Zeigarnik Effect'. This is the name psychologists use for when we remember things we need to do, our unfinished tasks, better than things we have already completed. Researchers from Wake Forest University tested the interference of the Zeigarnik effect on a group of people. The experiment began with a warm-up task, though it was stopped half-way through, and only some people were allowed to make plans to finish it. The researchers found that the group permitted to plan had reduced anxiety and performed better in the second task. The problem was, the others still had the warm-up task stuck in their active memory – an unticked list of tasks. So, once we tick something off our list, our brain forgets about it and we can relax.

All in all, it seems lists are a valuable tool for staying on top of life!


词汇表
productivity [ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti] 效率；生产力，生产率
overflowing  [əʊvə'fləʊɪŋ] 爆满的，装满的，溢出的
inbox [ˈɪnˌbɒks]（电子邮件）收件箱
social obligation [ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n] 社会义务，社会责任
overwhelmed [ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmd] 难以承受的，不知所措的
stay on top of 掌握，时刻关注（最新进展）
to-do list 待办事项清单
cross off （从清单上）划掉
drown out 盖过，压过，抵消
chaos [ˈkeɪɒs] 混乱，无秩序状态
never-ending 永无止境的，没完没了的
at hand 手头的，手边的
retain [rɪ'teɪn] 记住，保持，保存
structured [ˈstrʌktʃə(r)d] 有条理的，结构清晰的
organised ['ɔ:gənaɪzd] 有条不紊的，安排有序的
proof [pruːf] 证明，证据
Zeigarnik Effect [ˈzaɪɡɑːrnɪk] 蔡格尼克效应（指人们对未完成任务的记忆比已完成任务更为清晰）
unfinished [ʌn'fɪnɪʃt] 未完成的
interference [ˌɪntə(r)ˈfɪərəns] 干扰，干预
half-way through 中途
active memory 短期记忆
unticked [ʌnˈtɪkt]（清单上）未勾掉的
tick off 在（清单上）勾掉

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