中文导读 很多老师都见过这样的学生：明明有能力，却迟迟无法开始写作业。人们常把这归结为懒惰，但澳大利亚新南威尔士大学（UNSW Sydney）心理学教授 Steve Most 领导的团队认为，原因可能是有些人对“努力的代价”感受更强烈。他们把这种现象称为“努力厌恶”（effort aversion）。在实验中，有人宁愿拿走10澳元离开，也不愿完成一项枯燥任务来赚20澳元；后续研究中，一项15分钟的测量还预测了大学生两个学期的成绩。团队还发现，人们更愿意把努力推给“未来的自己”；当学生相信讲课的是一位真人老师而不是 AI 时，考试成绩相同，但联系感更强、学习意愿更高。文章按“常见看法—新解释—实验—与成绩的关系—人与人的联系—研究者建议”展开。阅读时可留意 may、seems、tended to 等词如何表达研究结论的分寸，以及 but、instead 如何引出与常见看法不同的观点。
正文 Most teachers know a student who is clearly able but cannot seem to start an assignment . It is easy to call this laziness , but a research team led by Steve Most , a psychology professor at UNSW Sydney in Australia , suggests that the real reason may be different . Some people simply feel the cost of effort more strongly than others .
本段译文 很多老师都认识这样的学生：明明有能力，却似乎无法开始写作业。人们很容易把这称为懒惰，但澳大利亚新南威尔士大学心理学教授 Steve Most 领导的研究团队认为，真正的原因可能不同。有些人只是比别人更强烈地感受到付出努力的代价。
The team calls this “effort aversion ”. It describes how much a reward loses its value in a person’s mind once work is needed to get it . The project is supported by the Australian Research Council . The team hopes to explain why people put things off , lose interest in learning , rely on AI or give up when a task becomes hard .
本段译文 团队把这种现象称为“努力厌恶”。它描述的是：一旦需要付出劳动才能得到奖励，这份奖励在一个人心中会贬值多少。该项目得到澳大利亚研究理事会的资助。团队希望借此解释，人们为什么会拖延、对学习失去兴趣、依赖 AI，或在任务变难时放弃。
In one simple lab test , people could take $10 and leave , or earn $20 by finishing a deliberately boring task . Others were happy to accept far less money if it meant they could avoid the work . According to Most , some people would even take $1 to skip the task
本段译文 在一项简单的实验室测试中，参与者可以拿10澳元离开，也可以通过完成一项刻意设计的枯燥任务赚20澳元。有些人乐意接受少得多的钱，只要能免去这份工作。据 Most 介绍，有些人甚至愿意只拿1澳元来跳过这项任务。
This difference seems to matter . In follow-up research with one of his students , a 15-minute measure of effort motivation predicted university grades across two terms . Students who were more willing to give up a reward to avoid effort tended to get lower results . The measure worked better than the students ’ own reports of how often they put things off . This grades study was posted online as a preprint in August .
本段译文 这种差异似乎很重要。在他与一名学生开展的后续研究中，一项15分钟的努力动机测量预测了大学生两个学期的成绩。越愿意放弃奖励来逃避努力的学生，成绩往往越低。这项测量的预测效果好于学生自己报告的拖延频率。这项关于成绩的研究于8月以预印本形式在网上发布。
An earlier study from the lab found that people were more willing to accept hard tasks when the work was described as belonging to their “future self “. In other words , many of us agree to effort more easily when we can push it down the road .
本段译文 该实验室较早的一项研究发现，当任务被描述为属于“未来的自己”时，人们更愿意接受困难的任务。换句话说，当我们可以把努力往后推时，很多人会更容易答应付出努力。
The team has also looked at human connection . In one experiment , two groups heard the same lecture . One group was told it had been made by AI , while the other was told it came from a real teacher who had struggled with self doubt Test scores were the same , but the second group felt more connected to the speaker and wanted to learn more .
本段译文 团队还研究了人与人之间的联系。在一项实验中，两组人听了同一场讲座。一组被告知讲座由 AI 生成，另一组则被告知讲座来自一位曾与自我怀疑作斗争的真人老师。两组的测试成绩相同，但第二组对讲者感到更有联系，也更想继续学习。
Most does not want schools to measure and track students ’ effort aversion , because there is no evidence that this would help . Instead , he believes effort can become enjoyable when effort itself is rewarded , and teachers can share stories of their own struggles AI can help transmit knowledge ,” he said , but he does not think a passion for learning can be handed over to AI
本段译文 Most 并不希望学校测量和追踪学生的努力厌恶程度，因为没有证据表明这样做会有帮助。相反，他认为，当努力本身受到奖励时，努力可以变得令人愉快；老师也可以分享自己曾经经历的困难。他说：“AI 可以帮助传递知识。”但他认为，对学习的热情无法交给 AI 来培养。
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