How friendship affects your brain - Shannon Odell

Translator: Kaman Yeung Reviewer: Aubrey Cheng

Friendships can hold an exceptional place in our life stories.

友誼喺我哋嘅人生故事中占有特殊地位

What is it about these connections that make them so unique?

係乜嘢令呢啲關係變得獨特？

Before we dive into the science, let’s first observe one in action.

深入探討科學前，我哋先觀察一個行動

If I could somehow design a best friend, you know,

如果我可以設計一個好朋友

put together all the ideal qualities of my perfect match,

將我嘅完美伴侶嘅理想品質加埋一齊

that person would pale in comparison to Priya.

比起Priya，嗰個人就顯得好失色

She can turn any situation into a good time—

佢能夠將任何情況變得輕鬆愉快—

chemistry lab, band practice.

做化學實驗、樂隊練習

What I’m trying to say is I never laugh harder than when I’m with Priya.

即係話，同Priya一齊我最開心

And she’s always there for me.

而佢經常喺我身邊

Like last year after I got dumped by Te— you know what?

好似舊年我俾某人飛咗之後—你知道嗎？

I don’t even want to mention their name.

我甚至不想提佢哋個名

It felt like my whole world was crashing down.

感覺我嘅世界好似冧咗噉

But as soon as I told Priya, boom, she was at my door.

Priya一知道就即刻出現喺我門口

I was a wreck, but she sat there with me and listened.

就算我幾甩皮甩骨，佢都嚟陪我、聽我呻

We’re always on the same page;

我哋嘅意見總係一致

it’s as if we can read each other’s minds!

好似我哋明白對方嘅心思一樣！

And we can talk for hours— about anything.

我哋可以傾到幾個鐘偈—傾咩都得

I know my mom would say she has the phone bills to prove it.

我媽實話佢有電話單可以證明呢一切

If it seems like friendships formed in adolescence are particularly special,

似乎喺青春期結成嘅友誼係非常特別嘅

that’s because they are.

因為佢哋真係好特別

Early childhood, adolescent, and adult friendships

幼兒期、青春期和成年人嘅友誼

all manifest a little differently

全部都表現得有啲唔同

in part because the brain works in different ways at those stages of life.

部分原因係大腦喺呢啲人生階段 有唔同嘅運作

Adolescence is a unique time when peer relationships take focus,

青春期係個獨特時期，朋輩關係變咗焦點

and thanks to the developing brain,

感謝發展緊嘅大腦

there are changes in the way you value, understand, and connect to friends.

你重視、理解同聯繫朋友嘅方式有咗變化

Teenage friends can seem attached at the hip.

十幾歲嘅朋友可能睇起嚟好親密無間

Scientists describe adolescence as a social reorientation

科學家認為青春期 係一個社會重新定位嘅過程

as teenagers begin to spend as much or more time

青少年開始花同樣或更多時間

with their friends than with their parents.

同佢哋嘅朋友而唔係同父母喺埋一齊

This drive to hang with pals may be due to changes in the brain’s reward center,

佢哋多啲同朋友玩嘅動力 源自大腦犒賞系統改變咗

known as the ventral striatum.

又叫做腹側線條體

Its activation makes hanging out with others enjoyable

啟動佢會令你好享受同其他人一齊玩

and motivates you to spend more time with them.

繼而促使你花更多時間同佢哋一齊

Neuroimaging studies show that this region is highly reactive

神經影像學研究表明，呢個區域高度活躍

during your teenage years,

喺你嘅青少年時期

which may explain why adolescents seem to place a higher value

噉可能解釋咗點解青少年似乎更重視

on social interactions than children or adults.

社交互動，比起兒童或成人

Teenage friendships can also feel more intimate

青少年嘅友誼都會令人感覺更親密

than the friendships of your childhood.

比起童年時嘅友誼

This deeper connection is possible thanks to improvements

呢種更深層次嘅聯繫係可能嘅，要多謝

in what scientists call Theory of Mind.

科學家改進咗所謂嘅「心智理論」

Theory of Mind is the ability to understand others’ emotions,

「心智理論」係理解他人情緒嘅能力、

thoughts, motivations, and points of view,

思想、動力同觀點

and to realize that they may be different from your own.

並認知到佢哋同你之間嘅分別

While it may seem intuitive,

雖然感覺好似單憑直覺

this ability hinges on the careful coordination of various brain regions,

呢種能力取決於各個大腦區域嘅精心協調

sometimes referred to as the social brain.

有時指社交大腦

Babies begin to develop Theory of Mind around 18 months or so.

嬰兒喺約十八個月開始發展「心智理論」

Before that, it’s thought they believe that everyone perceives and knows

喺之前，佢哋認為每個人都感知到同知道

exactly what they know.

佢哋所識得嘅嘢

It was once considered to be fully developed by age five,

佢曾經被認為係喺五歲嗰陣完全發育

but scientists now know that Theory of Mind

但科學家而家知道「心智理論」

continues to improve and mature well into your teenage years and beyond.

繼續改善令佢成熟， 直到你青少年時期同長大以後

Likewise, regions within the social brain show increased connectivity

同樣，社交大腦某啲區域顯示咗

during adolescence compared with childhood.

喺青少年時期，與兒時相比有多咗聯繫

As a result, teens can better understand their friend’s perspectives,

因此，青少年識得好好理解朋友嘅觀點

allowing for deeper connections to flourish.

允許更深層次的聯繫發展

In the closest friendships,

喺最親密嘅友誼之中

it can almost feel as if you’re metaphysically connected—

佢幾乎可以感受到， 如果你係形而上學噉聯繫—

two bodies and minds, perfectly in sync.

兩個身體同思想，完全同步

And there is science to this!

呢個係有科學依據嘅

Your ability to connect with others somewhat depends

你聯繫其他人嘅能力喺某種程度上取決於

on the coordination of actions, emotions, physiology, and thoughts.

行動、情感、生理學同思想

This is what psychologists call interpersonal synchrony.

就係心理學家所講嘅人際交互同步

You first show signs of the ability to sync with others as infants—

喺嬰兒時首次顯示同他人同步能力嘅跡象

synchronizing movements and babbling with your parents.

同步做出一啲動作、與父母牙牙學語

As you get older and spend more time outside the home,

當你逐漸長大，喺外面嘅時間越多

you increasingly show this synchrony with your peers.

同你朋輩同步嘅情況會越嚟越多

For example, imagine walking down the street with a friend.

例如，想像一下同朋友一齊行街

Often without consciously thinking,

成日會唔自覺諗起

you stroll at the same pace and follow the same path.

大家以同樣嘅速度漫步，行同樣嘅路

You and your best friend may not be only on the same page,

你同你老友可能唔止諗法一樣

but also scientifically, in step.

而且喺科學上都係同步嘅