中文导读

在日本，鞠躬是再平常不过的礼节，可它会不会让人“看起来更好看”？文章先给出研究的核心发现：日本人觉得鞠躬的人更有吸引力，美国人却几乎没反应；接着介绍日本不同角度鞠躬的含义，以及以往研究为什么说不清原因；然后提出两种可能的解释，并说明研究者如何用四种外貌的电脑模型来检验；随后用日本和美国志愿者的评分数据作对比；最后交代研究者的解释和研究的局限。阅读时可留意 however、but、while 等词如何引出对比，以及 suggests、may、appear 等词如何表达结论的确定程度。

正文

In Japan, people often bow when they meet someone, say thank you or say sorry. A new study suggests that this simple movement can also change how attractive a person looks, but mainly to people who grew up with the custom. Japanese viewers rated faces as more attractive after a bow, but American viewers hardly noticed any difference.

本段译文

在日本，人们见面、道谢或道歉时常常鞠躬。一项新研究表明，这个简单的动作还会改变一个人看起来有多吸引人，但主要是对从小熟悉这一习俗的人而言。日本观看者认为鞠躬后的面孔更有吸引力，而美国观看者几乎没有察觉到任何差别。

Bowing means lowering the head and bending the upper body forward. In Japan, a small bow of about 15 degrees is used to greet someone in passing, a 30-degree bow shows respect to a senior, and a deep 45-degree bow expresses strong thanks or an apology. Earlier studies had shown that Japanese people see a bowing person as more attractive. However, those studies mostly showed East Asian faces to Japanese viewers, so it was hard to know why the effect happened.

本段译文

鞠躬是指低头并将上身向前弯。在日本，约 15 度的小幅鞠躬用于路上打招呼，30 度的鞠躬表示对长辈或上级的尊重，45 度的深鞠躬则表达深切的感谢或歉意。此前的研究已表明，日本人会觉得正在鞠躬的人更有吸引力。不过，这些研究大多是让日本观看者看东亚面孔，因此很难弄清这种效应产生的原因。

There were two possible explanations. One idea is that lowering the head is a universal sign of being polite and safe, which would mean bowing should work in any culture. Another is that the effect comes from learned cultural habits. To test them, Takayuki Osugi of Yamagata University and Jun Kawahara of Hokkaido University created computer models with East Asian, European, South Asian and African appearances.

本段译文

可能的解释有两种。一种观点认为，低头是表示礼貌、没有威胁的普遍信号，这意味着鞠躬在任何文化中都应该起作用。另一种观点认为，这种效应来自后天习得的文化习惯。为了检验这两种观点，山形大学的大杉尚之（Takayuki Osugi）和北海道大学的河原纯一郎（Jun Kawahara）制作了具有东亚、欧洲、南亚和非洲外貌的电脑模型。

In each test, between 45 and 49 Japanese volunteers watched short videos of the models standing still, making a short bow or holding a longer bow, and rated each face from 0 to 100. Bowing raised scores for every type of model. For female European models, for example, the average score rose from 43.2 when standing still to 59.0 after a long bow.

本段译文

在每项测试中，有 45 到 49 名日本志愿者观看模型静止站立、短暂鞠躬或保持较长时间鞠躬的短视频，并按 0 到 100 分给每张面孔打分。鞠躬提高了每类模型的得分。例如，欧洲女性模型的平均分从静止站立时的 43.2 分升至长时间鞠躬后的 59.0 分。

When the same videos were shown to 30 to 40 American volunteers in each test, the results were different. Their scores usually changed by less than three points. In further tests, both groups could easily tell attractive faces from less attractive ones, which suggests that the Americans were paying attention. They simply did not seem to treat the bow as important.

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当同样的视频在每项测试中播放给 30 到 40 名美国志愿者时，结果就不同了。他们的评分变化通常不到三分。在进一步的测试中，两组人都能轻松区分更有吸引力和不那么有吸引力的面孔，这表明美国参与者是认真作答的。他们只是似乎没有把鞠躬当回事。

The researchers believe that in Japan, a bow suggests politeness, and this good impression spreads to judgments about looks. As more foreign visitors come to Japan, the finding may matter for daily greetings: Japanese viewers appear to read a bow in the same way, whatever the person looks like.

本段译文

研究人员认为，在日本，鞠躬意味着礼貌，而这种良好印象会延伸到对外貌的判断上。随着到访日本的外国人越来越多，这一发现可能对日常问候有意义：无论鞠躬者长什么样，日本观看者似乎都会以同样的方式理解这一动作。

The study has limits. It used computer models, not real people, and it did not record how much the American volunteers knew about Japanese culture. Real meetings also include voice, eye contact and other signals that these models cannot show.

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这项研究也有局限。它使用的是电脑模型而不是真人，也没有记录美国志愿者对日本文化了解多少。真实的会面还包括声音、眼神交流以及这些模型无法呈现的其他信号。

新闻来源

• PsyPost · Study finds the “bowing effect” on attractiveness is cultural, not universal (31 Oct 2026)
• Japanese Psychological Research · Effect of Bowing on Facial Attractiveness of Other Races (Osugi & Kawahara, first published 7 Aug 2026)
• 山形大学 · お辞儀による人物の魅力向上効果には文化差がある（2026 年 9 月 17 日新闻稿）

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