哈佛大学一项关于“决心”的研究表明，“废寝忘食”提高学习成绩并不奏效。

人们通常认为，学习优秀的孩子为了追求高分，一般都要做出额外牺牲，比如睡得少，或者养成糟糕的饮食习惯。

Sacrificing sleep and skipping meals to study for academic excellence actually doesn’t work, a new Harvard study into “grit” has revealed.

Children who strive for excellence tend to be seen as those who make extra sacrifices, like getting less sleep or adopting poor eating habits, in the quest for top grades.

But the new study of 4,000 British teenagers shows those who display determination, courage and persistence also tend to have healthier lifestyles.

The findings, from Harvard Graduate School of Education, showed “that children who exhibit grit are also likely to look after themselves, and cultivate healthy emotional regulation skills, rather than behave in ways that are bad for their health.”

Studies have shown the harmful effects stress over exams have on children’s health. A survey by Kellogg’s published last month found that children as young as 10 smoke cigarettes, eat sweets and use energy drinks to prepare for their exams.

Christina Hinton, a faculty member at Harvard Graduate School of Education, said, “Our results suggest that grit does not require pushing yourself at all costs, but rather cultivating healthy emotional regulation skills and effective learning strategies.”

Children aged 11 to 18 took part in the yearlong research, which was carried out during 2014 and 2015 in conjunction with four U.K. independent and state schools in the Wellington College Teaching Schools Alliance.

Carl Hendrick, head of research at Wellington College, said it was “good news” for students who think they need to “kill themselves” to achieve good grades.

The study also found for the first time a link between high-achieving students and helpfulness.

The research revealed that those pupils who see themselves as having potential rather than having fixed abilities are more inclined to help their peers.

The academics said, “A teenager who thinks in this way is more likely to be helpful and care more deeply about others. This may be because they think ‘if I feel I can develop, I feel others can,’ which makes them more understanding and sympathetic.”

但是一项针对4000名英国青少年的研究表明，那些表现出决心、勇气和毅力的学生生活方式也更健康。

哈佛大学教育研究生院的研究结果表明，“那些有决心的孩子能照顾好自己，培养健康的情感管理技能，而不是养成不利于健康的行为方式。”

之前已有研究表明，考试压力过大对儿童的健康不利。凯洛格上个月发表的一项调查发现，年仅10岁的孩子就通过吸烟、吃糖果、喝能量饮料来备考。

哈佛大学教育研究生院的教员克里斯提娜·辛顿说：“研究结果表明，追求好成绩的决心并不需要不惜代价来逼自己，而是要培养健康的情感管理技能和高效的学习策略。”

11岁至18岁的孩子参加了这项时长为一年的研究，在2014~2015年期间与惠灵顿学院教学联盟的四所英国独立学校和公立学校联合开展。

惠灵顿学院的研究负责人卡尔·亨德里克说，这对那些认为好成绩需要“头悬

梁，锥刺股”的学生来说，是个好消息。

这项研究还首次发现成绩好的学生也乐于助人。研究发现，那些认为自己有更多潜力可发掘的孩子更愿意帮助同伴。

学者们说：“有这种思维方式的青少年更乐于帮助、关心他人。也许这是因为他们认为“我觉得我能进步，其他人也能”，这让他们更能理解他人，富有同情心。”

    Words to Learn 相关词汇

   【勇气】yǒngqì grit stubborn courage, brave perseverance, pluck

    【潜力】qiǎnlì potential possibility, capability, power