Lessons from the longest study on human development | Helen Pearson

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 易帆 余

Today I want to confess something to you,

今天，我要向各位承認一件事，

but first of all I'm going to ask you a couple of questions.

但首先，我要先問你們一些問題。

How many people here have children?

在座有多少人有孩子？

And how many of you are confident

有多少人有信心

that you know how to bring up your children

知道如何用正確的方式

in exactly the right way?

來養育你的孩子？

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

OK, I don't see too many hands going up on that second one,

好，第二個問題沒有很多人舉手，

and that's my confession, too.

我要承認的也是這件事。

I've got three boys;

我有三個兒子；

they're three, nine and 12.

分別 3 歲、9 歲、12 歲。

And like you, and like most parents,

我和你們……和大部分父母一樣，

the honest truth is I have pretty much no idea what I'm doing.

老實說我真的不知道我在做什麼。

I want them to be happy and healthy in their lives,

我想要讓孩子一生都快樂、健康，

but I don't know what I'm supposed to do

但我並不知道我該怎麼做，

to make sure they are happy and healthy.

才能確保他們能快樂和健康。

There's so many books offering all kinds of conflicting advice,

很多書提供了各種意見， 有些還互相矛盾，

it can be really overwhelming.

這種書多到不行。

So I've spent most of their lives just making it up as I go along.

所以，他們大部分的人生， 我都是邊摸索邊養大的。

However, something changed me a few years ago,

然而，幾年前，有件事改變了我，

when I came across a little secret that we have in Britain.

我偶然發現我們英國有一個小秘密。

It's helped me become more confident about how I bring up my own children,

它協助我對如何養育 孩子變得更有信心，

and it's revealed a lot about how we as a society can help all children.

也有很多關於我們社會 要如何協助所有孩子的資訊。

I want to share that secret with you today.

今天我想和大家分享這個秘密。

For the last 70 years,

過去七十年，

scientists in Britain have been following thousands of children through their lives

英國的科學家一直在追蹤 數千名孩童的一生，

as part of an incredible scientific study.

並整理出一項了不起的科學研究。

There's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.

世界其它國家都沒有這樣的研究。

Collecting information on thousands of children

要收集數千名孩童的資料

is a really powerful thing to do,

是件非常強大的事情，

because it means we can compare the ones who say,

因為那意味著，我們可以將那些

do well at school or end up healthy or happy or wealthy as adults,

在學校表現出色， 或長大後健康、快樂、有錢的人，

and the ones who struggle much more,

和碰到比較多困境的人做比較，

and then we can sift through all the information we've collected

接著我們詳細研究了 所有收集到的資料，

and try to work out why their lives turned out different.

試著找出為什麼他們的 人生發展結果不同。

This British study -- it's actually a kind of crazy story.

這項英國研究── 其實是個有點瘋狂的故事。

So it all starts back in 1946,

一切開始於 1946 年，

just a few months after the end of the war,

在戰爭結束後幾個月，

when scientists wanted to know

科學家想要知道

what it was like for a woman to have a baby at the time.

女性在那時有孩子 是什麼樣的感覺。

They carried out this huge survey of mothers

他們針對母親進行了一個大型調查，

and ended up recording the birth of nearly every baby

最後記錄了當週在英國、蘇格蘭、

born in England, Scotland and Wales in one week.

威爾斯誕生的每個寶寶的出生資訊。

That was nearly 14,000 babies.

有近 14,000 個寶寶的資料。

The questions they asked these women

他們問這些女性的問題

are very different than the ones we might ask today.

和我們現今可能會問的問題差很多。

They sound really old-fashioned now.

現在聽來會覺得很老套。

They asked them things like,

問的問題類似這樣：

"During pregnancy,

「在懷孕期間，

did you get your full extra ration of a pint of milk a day?"

你是否每天都有拿到 額外配給的一品脫牛奶？」

"How much did you spend on smocks, corsets,

「你花多少錢在工作服、緊身胸衣、

nightdresses, knickers and brassieres?"

睡衣、襯褲、胸罩上？」

And this is my favorite one:

我最喜歡的是這個：

"Who looked after your husband while you were in bed with this baby?"

「當你和這個寶寶在床上時， 誰照顧你的先生？」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, this wartime study actually ended up being so successful

這項戰時的研究最後非常成功，

that scientists did it again.

讓科學家決定再做一次。

They recorded the births of thousands of babies born in 1958

他們記錄了 1958 年 出生的數千名寶寶，

and thousands more in 1970.

1970 年又再記錄了數千名。

They did it again in the early 1990s,

九〇年初期他們又做了一次，

and again at the turn of the millennium.

在千禧年時又做了一次。

Altogether, more than 70,000 children have been involved in these studies

全部加起來，這些研究涉及了 超過 70,000 名孩童，

across those five generations.

跨越五個世代。

They're called the British birth cohorts,

他們稱之為 「英國出生世代的大型調查」，

and scientists have gone back and recorded more information

每幾年，科學家就得回去

on all of these people every few years ever since.

記錄所有這些人的更多資訊。

The amount of information that's now been collected on these people

從這些人收集來的資料量

is just completely mind-boggling.

多到難以想像。

It includes thousands of paper questionnaires

包括了數千份的紙本問卷，

and terabytes' worth of computer data.

及好幾兆位元組的電腦資料。

Scientists have also built up a huge bank of tissue samples,

科學家也建立了一個 組織樣本的大型資料庫，

which includes locks of hair, nail clippings, baby teeth and DNA.

包含頭髮綹、剪下的指甲、 寶寶牙齒及 DNA。

They've even collected 9,000 placentas from some of the births,

他們甚至從一些分娩中 收集了 9,000 個胎盤，

which are now pickled in plastic buckets in a secure storage warehouse.

它們目前被醃漬在塑膠桶中， 安全地儲存在倉庫裡。

This whole project has become unique --

這整個計畫變得獨一無二──

so, no other country in the world is tracking generations of children

所以，目前沒有其它國家 追蹤數代孩童資料

in quite this detail.

追蹤地那麼仔細。

These are some of the best-studied people on the planet,

這些人是地球上 被研究得最透徹的人，

and the data has become incredibly valuable for scientists,

這些資料對科學家來說 是極度有價值的，

generating well over 6,000 academic papers and books.

產生了超過 6,000 篇 學術論文以及書籍。

But today I want to focus on just one finding --

但現今，我只想著重 在其中一項發現──

perhaps the most important discovery to come from this remarkable study.

也許是這了不起的研究 帶來最重大的一項發現。

And it's also the one that spoke to me personally,

且這項發現對我個人蠻有意義的，

because it's about how to use science to do the best for our children.

因為它告訴了我，如何利用科學的方法 帶給孩子最好的教育。

So, let's get the bad news out of the way first.

所以，我們先談談它的黑暗面。

Perhaps the biggest message from this remarkable study is this:

也許這項偉大研究是要告訴我們：

don't be born into poverty or into disadvantage,

不要出生於貧困或弱勢，

because if you are,

因為若是這樣的話，

you're far more likely to walk a difficult path in life.

你人生走得較艱苦的可能性 會高很多。

Many children in this study were born into poor families

這項研究的許多孩童 生在貧窮的家庭，

or into working-class families that had cramped homes or other problems,

或勞動階級家庭，有的住處狹窄， 有的家中有其它問題。

and it's clear now that those disadvantaged children

現在很明顯可看出，那些弱勢孩童

have been more likely to struggle on almost every score.

在各方面幾乎都走得比較艱苦。

They've been more likely to do worse at school,

他們很可能在學校的表現較差，

to end up with worse jobs and to earn less money.

後來的工作比較差， 賺的錢也比較少。

Now, maybe that sounds really obvious,

也許這聽起來是不用說也知道，

but some of the results have been really surprising,

但有些結果卻十分讓人意外，

so children who had a tough start in life

人生起跑點就比較艱苦的孩童

are also more likely to end up unhealthy as adults.

長大也比較可能會 變成不健康的成人。

They're more likely to be overweight,

他們比較可能會過胖、

to have high blood pressure,

有高血壓，

and then decades down the line,

且在數十年後，

more likely to have a failing memory, poor health and even to die earlier.

比較可能會記憶衰退、 健康狀況差，甚至早逝。

Now, I talked about what happens later,

我剛說的是後續發生的狀況，

but some of these differences emerge at a really shockingly early age.

但另人吃驚的是， 有些差異在很早期就會浮現。

In one study,

在一項研究中，

children who were growing up in poverty

在貧窮環境中成長的孩童

were almost a year behind the richer children on educational tests,

在教育考試的表現， 會落後有錢孩童一年之多，

and that was by the age of just three.

而且在三歲時就會顯現出來。

These types of differences have been found again and again across the generations.

在各世代，我們都會 發現這類的差異。

It means that our early circumstances have a profound influence

這意味著，我們早年的處境，

對人生後續發展有著深遠的影響。

on the way that the rest of our lives play out.

And working out why that is

找出這背後的原因，

is one of the most difficult questions that we face today.

是我們現今面臨到 最困難的問題之一。

So there we have it.

所以，就是這樣。

The first lesson for successful life, everyone, is this:

各位，成功人生的第一課就是：

choose your parents very carefully.

小心選擇你的父母。

(Laughter)

Don't be born into a poor family or into a struggling family.

（笑聲）

不要生在貧窮 或是謀生艱困的家庭中。

Now, I'm sure you can see the small problem here.

我相信各位都能發現， 這裡有一個小問題。

We can't choose our parents or how much they earn,

我們無法選擇父母或是他們的收入，

but this British study has also struck a real note of optimism

但這項英國研究也傳達出 一項樂觀的訊息，

by showing that not everyone who has a disadvantaged start

研究顯示，並非所有 在起跑點就屬弱勢的人

ends up in difficult circumstances.

最後就一定會身處困苦的境遇。

As you know, many people have a tough start in life,

如你所知，許多人 在人生剛開始很辛苦，

but they end up doing very well on some measure nevertheless,

最後他們在某些地方 表現非常出色，

and this study starts to explain how.

而這項研究對此做了解釋。

So the second lesson is this:

所以第二課是：

parents really matter.

父母真的很重要。

In this study,

在這項研究中，

children who had engaged, interested parents,

如果孩童的父母很投入、很關心，

ones who had ambition for their future,

對他們的未來有著野心，

were more likely to escape from a difficult start.

這些孩童就比較有機會 脫離困苦的開端。

It seems that parents and what they do are really, really important,

似乎父母本身，以及他們的 所做所為，都非常重要，

especially in the first few years of life.

特別是在孩童人生中的前幾年。

Let me give you an example of that.

讓我舉個例子。

In one study,

在一項研究中，

scientists looked at about 17,000 children who were born in 1970.

科學家研究了約 17,000 名 生於 1970 年的孩童。

They sifted all the mountains of data that they had collected

他們仔細探究了 他們收集到的大量資料，

to try to work out

試圖想要找出

what allowed the children who'd had a difficult start in life

是什麼因素 讓人生開端很困苦的孩童

to go on and do well at school nevertheless.

能繼續走下去 並在學校表現出色。

In other words, which ones beat the odds.

換言之，他們是如何創造不可能的？

The data showed that what mattered more than anything else was parents.

資料顯示，最重要的因素就是父母。

Having engaged, interested parents in those first few years of life

大部分後續能在學校 表現出色的孩童，

was strongly linked to children going on to do well at school later on.

在人生的前幾年都有 投入且關心的父母相隨。

In fact, quite small things that parents do

事實上，父母做的一些小事，

are associated with good outcomes for children.

都與孩童將來的好表現有關。

Talking and listening to a child,

跟孩童說話並傾聽他們、

responding to them warmly,

以溫暖的方式回應他們、

teaching them their letters and numbers,

教他們字母和數字、

taking them on trips and visits.

帶他們出去玩或造訪別人。

Reading to children every day seems to be really important, too.

每天唸書給孩童聽也非常重要。

So in one study,

所以，在一項研究中，

children whose parents were reading to them daily when they were five

孩童在五歲時，若父母 每天唸書給他們聽，

and then showing an interest in their education at the age of 10,

在十歲時，若父母展現出 對他們所學的內容感到興趣，

were significantly less likely to be in poverty at the age of 30

相較於父母不做這些事的孩童，

這些孩童在三十歲時， 有很大的機率不會貧窮。

than those whose parents weren't doing those things.

Now, there are huge challenges with interpreting this type of science.

要詮釋這類的科學， 有很大的挑戰。

These studies show that certain things that parents do

這些研究顯示， 父母是否有做這些事情

are correlated with good outcomes for children,

對孩子將來的表現好壞有關，

but we don't necessarily know those behaviors caused the good outcomes,

但我們並不清楚 是那些行為造成了好表現，

or whether some other factor is getting in the way.

或是還有其它因素夾在中間。

For example, we have to take genes into account,

比如，我們得要考量基因，

and that's a whole other talk in itself.

光這點就可以再做一場演說。

But scientists working with this British study

但做這項英國研究的科學家

are working really hard to get at causes,

非常努力地想要找出原因，

and this is one study I particularly love.

而我特別喜愛的一項研究，

In this one,

是這項研究：

they looked at the bedtime routines of about 10,000 children

他們去研究一萬名千禧年出生的孩童

born at the turn of the millennium.

上床睡覺時間的習慣。

Were the children going to bed at regular times,

研究這些孩童 是否有固定的上床時間，

or did they go to bed at different times during the week?

或是平常日上床睡覺時間都不同？

The data showed that those children who were going to bed at different times

資料顯示，在不同時間上床的孩童

were more likely to have behavioral problems,

比較有可能會產生行為問題，

and then those that switched to having regular bedtimes

而有固定上床時間的孩童

often showed an improvement in behavior,

通常在行為上就會有改善，

and that was really crucial,

這點非常重要，

because it suggested it was the bedtime routines

因為它意味著，規律的上床時間

that were really helping things get better for those kids.

真的能協助孩童有更好的表現。

Here's another one to think about.

還有一項研究值得思考。

In this one,

在這項研究中，

scientists looked at children who were reading for pleasure.

科學家研究的是 把閱讀當樂趣的孩童。

That means that they picked up a magazine, a picture book, a story book.

也就是常拿起雜誌、 圖畫書、故事書的小孩子。

The data showed that children who were reading for pleasure

資料顯示，在五歲和十歲時

at the ages of five and 10

把閱讀當樂趣的孩童，

were more likely to go on in school better, on average,

平均來說，將來比較有可能在學校

on school tests later in their lives.

有較好的考試成績。

And not just tests of reading,

不只是閱讀相關的考試，

but tests of spelling and maths as well.

也包括拼字和數學的考試。

This study tried to control for all the confounding factors,

這項研究試圖控制所有 會造成混淆的因素，

so it looked at children who were equally intelligent

所以它研究的孩童， 有同等的智力、

and from the same social-class background,

來自同樣的社會階級背景，

so it seemed as if it was the reading which really helped those children

所以這樣看來， 的確是閱讀幫助了這些孩童

go on and score better on those school tests later in their lives.

在後續的考試中能有好的表現。

Now at the start,

在一開始，

I said the first lesson from this study

我說過，這項研究教導的第一課

was not to be born into poverty or into disadvantage,

就是不要生在貧窮或弱勢的家庭中，

because those children tend to follow more difficult paths in their lives.

因為這些孩童傾向會有 比較辛苦的人生道路。

But then I said that parenting matters,

但接著我說，父母是重要的，

and that good parenting, if you can call it that,

好的養育，如果可以這麼稱它的話，

helps children beat the odds

好的養育能協助孩童突破不可能

and overcome some of those early disadvantages.

並克服早期的一些弱勢。

So wait,

等等，

does that actually mean, then, that poverty doesn't matter after all?

那麼這是否意味著 是否貧窮完全不重要？

You could argue it doesn't matter if a child is born poor --

你會主張說：孩童是否 出生於貧窮並不重要──

as long as their parents are good parents, they're going to do just fine.

只要他們的父母是好父母， 他們之後的表現就會很好。

I don't believe that's true.

我不相信這是對的。

This study shows that poverty and parenting matter.

這項研究顯示貧困和養育是重要的。

And one study actually put figures on that,

有項研究真的加上了數字，

so it looked at children growing up in persistent poverty

它研究了一直在貧困中成長的孩童，

and how well they were doing at school.

看他們在學校的表現。

The data showed

資料顯示，

that even when their parents were doing everything right --

即使他們的父母做對了一切──

putting them to bed on time

讓他們準時上床，

and reading to them every day and everything else --

每天唸書給他們聽， 及其它的每一件事──

that only got those children so far.

也只能幫孩子到這樣。

Good parenting only reduced the educational gap

好的養育也只能將 富有孩童和貧窮孩童

between the rich and poor children by about 50 percent.

之間的教育落差減少約 50%。

Now that means that poverty leaves a really lasting scar,

那意味著，貧窮留下的傷疤 會一直持續下去，

and it means that if we really want to ensure the success and well-being

也意味著，如果我們真的 想要確保下一代的

of the next generation,

成功和幸福，

then tackling child poverty is an incredibly important thing to do.

那麼如何處理孩童的貧困， 就是非常重要的事。

Now, what does all this mean for you and me?

對你我來說，這又有什麼意涵？

Are there lessons here we can all take home and use?

有什麼我們可以帶回家用的方法嗎？

As a scientist and a journalist,

身為科學家和新聞工作者，

I like to have some science to inform my parenting ...

我會想要用科學的方法 來教我如何養育孩童……

and I can tell you that when you're shouting at your kids

我可以告訴各位，當你在大聲叫

to go to bed on time,

孩子準時上床時，

it really helps to have the scientific literature on your side.

那你的案例對科學的 文獻貢獻會很大。

(Laughter)

And wouldn't it be great to think

（笑聲）

如果說要讓我們的孩子

that all we had to do to have happy, successful children

能快樂、成功，我們 只需要和他們說話、

was to talk to them, be interested in their future,

關心他們的未來、讓他們準時上床、

put them to bed on time, and give them a book to read?

給他們一本書看，這樣不是很好嗎？

Our job would be done.

我們的工作就完成了。

Now, as you can imagine,

各位應該可以想像，

the answers aren't quite as simple as that.

答案並沒有那麼簡單。

For one thing, this study looks at what happens

理由之一是，這項研究所探討的

to thousands and thousands of children on average,

是數千名孩童的平均狀況，

but that doesn't necessarily say what will help my child or your child

但那不表示它就一定能 幫助到我的孩子、你的孩子，

or any individual child.

或任何各別的孩子。

In the end, each of our children is going to walk their own path,

最終，我們的孩子 都得要走他們自己的路，

and that's partly defined by the genes they inherit

有部分是取決於他們被遺傳的基因，

and of course all the experiences they have through their lives,

當然，還有他們一生中 走過的所有經驗，

including their interactions with us, their parents.

包括與我們── 也就是他們的父母──的互動。

I will tell you what I did after I learned all this.

讓我告訴各位， 學到這些後我做了什麼。

It's a bit embarrassing.

其實有點尷尬。

I realized I was so busy working,

我發現我忙著工作，

and ironically,

很諷刺的是，

learning and writing about this incredible study of British children,

我也忙著學習和撰寫這項 關於英國孩童的偉大研究，

that there were days when I hardly even spoke to my own British children.

忙到有些日子我幾乎沒時間 跟我的孩子說話。

So at home, we introduced talking time,

所以回到家後， 我們設立了談話時間，

which is just 15 minutes at the end of the day

在每天結束前的 15 分鐘，

when we talk and listen to the boys.

我們要和孩子說話 並傾聽他們的聲音。

I try better now to ask them what they did today,

我現在做得比較好， 會問他們今天做了什麼事，

and to show that I value what they do at school.

讓他們知道我看重他們 在學校做的事。

Of course, I make sure they always have a book to read.

當然，我也會確保 他們隨時都有本書能讀。

I tell them I'm ambitious for their future,

我告訴他們， 我期望他們有好的未來，

and I think they can be happy and do great things.

我認為他們能過得快樂、 能成就偉大的事。

I don't know that any of that will make a difference,

我不知道這樣做是否能造成改變，

but I'm pretty confident it won't do them any harm,

但我很有信心， 這樣做對他們無害，

and it might even do them some good.

甚至對他們會有些好處。

Ultimately, if we want happy children,

最終，如果我們想要孩子快樂，

all we can do is listen to the science,

我們能做的只有聽科學怎麼說，

and of course,

當然，還有，

listen to our children themselves.

聽我們的孩子怎麼說。

Thank you.

謝謝。