Any Choice Is Good Choice

Scientific American網站上一個很有趣的服務 60-second science
就是用一分鐘介紹一個科學新發現
覺得這個研究很有趣
研究發現實驗的老鼠如果可以自己選擇要吃的食物
所得到的快樂跟得到多的食物選項是一樣的
基本上是在講可以自由選擇本身就是一個很快樂的事

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A study indicates that the mere ability to choose is as rewarding as getting the better of two possible outcomes. Karen Hopkin reports.

原文如下：We all have to make choices. Like whether to get the cheesecake or the apple pie. Well, agonize no longer. Because a study published online in the journal Nature Neuroscience suggests that it doesn’t matter which you choose. That just being able to make a choice is reward in itself.Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine were studying how neurons in the pleasure center of rats’ brains respond to different rewards. In their test, rats could belly up to one of two bars to receive a tasty sip of sugar water. At one of the troughs, however, the drinks were bigger, and the waiting-time less. But here’s the catch: at the start of each trial, the rat would receive a signal telling him which to choose. One said “you’ve won the big prize,” a second said “you get the consolation prize,” and a third said “pick whichever you want.”Well, as you might expect, when a rat knew it had hit the jackpot, neurons in its pleasure center jumped for joy. But these “happy cells” reacted the exact same way in rats who were allowed to choose, whether or not the animals went on to claim the better prize. So cheesecake, apple pie, whichever. Just relax and savor the deliberation.

—Karen Hopkin