The Numbers Game|数字人生

The Numbers Game

by Marcus Maurice

If someone is in need of help, do groups of people help them quicker than individual people?

　　The next time someone tells you that you look average, thank them. Why? On the street, Jack Porway, who is the host of National Geographic Channel's The Numbers Game, surprised a lot of people on the street when he conducted an experiment. He stuck up five male and five female pictures and had passersby vote on the most beautiful and handsome person by sticking hearts on the pictures. In the end, the third picture on each side won.

　　Then, Porway surprised everyone. He dropped the curtains to reveal just four people on each side. Missing from each side was the person in picture three, which was the one everyone thought was the best looking. The reason for this was because picture number three was not real. Instead, the third picture was just a composite of all four of the other people. In studies around the world and in Porway's experiment, people prefer the average composite rather than an actual person.

　　Another test that Porway does on The Numbers Game is called the bystander effect. In a restaurant with hidden cameras, an actor falls on the floor. Porway tests to see how long it takes individual people or groups of people to help the fallen man. He finds that people who are eating alone help the man in three seconds or less. However, those in groups tend to take three times as long, which can be almost 10 seconds. The bystander effect shows that people in groups look at each other first to see if someone else is going to help. This delays their decision to step up to be a hero. Learn about money, sex, marriage, and mortality on The Numbers Game this month on NGC.

 

 

数字人生

如果某人需要帮助，一群人会比一个人更快伸出援手吗？

　　下次有人告诉你你看起来很普通的时候，你得感谢他。这是为什么呢？国家地理频道《数字人生》节目的主持人杰克‧波威在街头做了一项实验，让街上的人都大吃一惊。他贴上五张男性的照片和五张女性的照片，要路人投票选出最美和最帅的人，并在他们的照片上贴上爱心。结果，两边的第三张照片都脱颖而出。

　　接着，波威让所有人大吃一惊。他结束了这项实验，并透露两边各只有四个人。两边缺少的那个人都是第三张照片，也就是所有人都觉得长得最好看的那张照片。原因是因为第三张照片并非真有其人。反之，这张照片其实是其他四个人的合成照。在全世界的研究和波威的实验当中，人们都较偏好一般的合成照，而非实际存在的人。

　　波威在《数字人生》节目中所做的另一项测试被称为『旁观者效应』。在一家装有隐藏式摄影机的餐厅，有一位男演员跌倒在地板上。波威要测试一个人或是一群人要花多少时间才会去帮助这名跌倒的男子。他发现单独用餐的人在三秒钟之内就会去帮助这名男子。然而，如果是一群人，往往要花上三倍的时间，也就是将近十秒钟。这项旁观者效应显示了群体中的人会先看看其他人有没有要帮忙。这个动作会延误他们向前挺进做英雄的决定。观赏本月国家地理频道的《数字人生》节目来认识金钱、性、婚姻和死亡率吧！