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So, Y'know, um, when you say something, and...you're like stumbling a little bit
你知道的，嗯，你在说某事时，可能会停顿一下，
because you are not uh, totally sure what you wanna say that y'know other words will find a way in?
因为你不能，哦，完全确定你想说的能否用其他词代替。
You don't have to search hard to find recommendations
你不需要费力搜索
that using filler words like "um," "uh," "like," and "y'know" will make you seem nervous and less competent.
使用填充词，比如“um”、“uh"、“like”和“y'know”会让你看起来紧张且缺少能力的建议。
So you'll tank that job interview or speech you're giving.
所以你会在工作面试或演讲中失败。
And there is some research showing that using a lot of filler words reduces speakers' credibility.
有些研究表明，使用大量的填充词会减少说话者的可信性。
But it's actually useful in some situations, like day-to-day conversation.
但在某些情况下，比如日常交谈中，它确实很有用。
To set the record straight, it's not weird to use filler words. Most people do.
使用填充词来澄清问题并不奇怪。大多数人都会这样做。
Some frequently-cited research from the 1950s found that people slip up while they're talking about once every 4.4 seconds.
20世纪50年代的一些经常被引用的研究发现，人们每隔4.4秒就会说错一次话。
And it's not just young people either.
而且不只是年轻人这样。
A 2014 study of 263 people ranging from age 17 to 69 found that
2014年，一项针对17岁到69岁之间的263名受试者的研究发现，
people of all ages and genders used space-filling words like "um" and "uh" at about the same rates.
不同年龄、不同性别的人使用“um”、“uh”等填充词的频率大致相同。
Different age groups preferred different words, though.
不过，不同的年龄组偏好不同的词汇。
For example, college students use "like" more often than older groups of adults.
例如，大学生使用“like”的频率比老年人要高。
And just because those millennials are saying "like" more often
因为千禧一代更常说“like”，
doesn't mean they're destroying language or that these words are meaningless.
这并不意味着他们在破坏语言或者这些词没有意义。
Most of these filler words can convey important things in conversations,
大多数填充词都能在对话中传达重要的信息，
which psychologists study by recording people talking and analyzing the transcripts for patterns.
心理学家通过记录人们的谈话并分析他们的行为模式来研究它。
When people are thinking of what they're going to say next, that's where "uh" and "um" come in.
当人们思考接下来的话时，就会说“uh”或“um”。
These are called filled pauses and signal to listeners that, no, you didn't stop talking,
这些被称为填充停顿，它们向听者发出信号，不，你没有停止说话，
you just need a second to come up with with the right words.
你只是需要一秒钟想出合适的词。
Some research has even shown that people use "um" more when they're being honest.
一些研究甚至表明，人们诚实的时候会更多地使用“um”。
When people are asked to say lies, it's as if they need to rehearse them,
人们被要求撒谎时，好像他们需要事先演练一样，
and they don't do that stopping-to-think thing that makes people say"um" as often as in normal conversation.
他们不会像在正常谈话中那样说“um”来做停顿思考。
People tend to use other filler words, like"you know" and "like" in consistent ways, too.
人们也会在一贯的事情上倾向使用其他的填充词，比如“you know”和“like”。
They use "like" when the words that follow aren't precise.
当后面的词不准确时，他们会用“like”。
For example, people are much more likely to use it before a quantity,
举个例子，人们更有可能在量词前面使用它，
as in "that plane ticket cost me, like, three hundred bucks!"
比如“那张机票好像花了我三百美元！”
They probably don't remember an exact number, so the language communicates that.
他们可能不记得确切数字了，所以语言传达了这一点。
But people are unlikely to put an"um" or "uh" in that sentence.
但人们不太可能在这种句子中使用“um”或“uh”。
They probably have a lot of experience saying the words for numbers,
他们可能有很多表达数字的经验，
and don't need the extra pause to remember "three hundred."
不需要额外停顿来记住300.
After all, they've been practicing numbers since they were, like, three!
毕竟，他们大概从三岁就开始练习数字了！
And "you know" is used to confirm that the listener understands, or is at least still paying attention.
“you know”是用来确认听众理解了，或者至少还在注意听。
Even if the listener just responds nonverbally, like with a nod.
即使听者只是非语言地回应，比如点头。
All this research means that filler words are meaningful and useful in conversations,
所有这些研究表明，填充词在对话中是有意义和有用的，
even if they're not the central part of the message.
即使它们不是信息的中心部分。
So why is everyone trying to get rid of them?
那么，为什么每个人都想摆脱它们呢？
There's some basis for this advice, but it's more complicated than you'd think.
这个建议是有根据的，但比你想象的要复杂得多。
For example, one study from 2013 looked at 1380 recordings of telemarketers asking people to participate in surveys.
例如，2013年的一项研究调查了1380份要求人们参与调查的电话推销员录音。
For the most part, when the person calling used more filler words,
在大多数情况下，打电话的人使用更多的填充词时，
they were less successful in getting people to participate.
他们不太可能成功地让人们参与进来。
But there was an important exception: the people who used no filler words performed worst of all.
但有个重要的例外：那些不使用填充词的人表现最差。
The researchers thought this was because using a ton might've made people sound a little incompetent.
研究人员认为，这是因为使用大量的填充词可能让人听起来有点儿不称职。
But using none probably made people sound robotic,
但是不使用可能会让人听起来像机器人，
like they were reading from a script instead of being engaged in a conversation.
就像他们在读手稿而不是在交谈一样。
So eliminating them entirely probably isn't a good idea, either.
所以完全消除填充词似乎不是个好主意。
It also seems like people have the worst impression of filler words if they're on the look out for them.
如果人们留心填充词的话，似乎会对它们印象最差。
To demonstrate this, in a study from 1995,
为了证明这一点，在1995年的一项研究中，
researchers took a recording of a radio talk show caller and manipulated it in a couple ways,
研究人员录了一段电台谈话节目的访客录音，并对其进行了一些操作，
either replacing his filler words with silence, or cutting the gaps out entirely.
要么将他的填充词用沉默代替，要么完全截掉那些说话间隔。
Over 1000 participants were a part of this study.
1000多人参与了此项研究。
Each person listened to one of these three recordings.
每个人都听了这三段录音中的一段。
And when everyone was asked afterward to rate how frequently the speaker used filler words,
之后，每个人被要求评估说话者使用填充词的频率时，
they all gave about the same rating.
他们给出的评级差不多。
Unless they were told to pay attention to the speaker's style, then they noticed the filler words a lot.
除非他们被告知注意说话者的风格，才会更多地注意填充词。
But if they were told to specifically pay attention to the arguments,
但是如果听众们被告知要特别注意论点的话，
listeners seemed to ignore the filler words entirely.
他们似乎会完全忽略填充词。
When subjects were asked to rate the speaker on things like how eloquent or relaxed they were,
当受试者被要求对说话者的口才或放松程度进行评价时，
the no-gap recording made the speaker seem best.
无间隙录音使说话者显得最出色。
But if there were gaps, it was better to have them filled with ums and uhs.
但是如果有间隔，最好用“ums”和“uhs”填充它们。
Also, filler words can be an important part of listening.
此外，填充词也是听力的重要组成部分。
One 2004 study found evidence of this by analyzing conversations at a speed dating event.
2004年的一项研究通过分析速配活动中的对话发现了这一点。
Women reported liking men more when they used short, filler-word interjections like "uh-huh" and "okay"while listening.
男性在女性倾听过程中使用短暂的填充词比如“uh-huh”，据报道女性会更喜欢他们。
Although these signals didn't seem to matter much the other way around.
尽管这些信号倒过来似乎并不是那么重要。
And a 2011 study found that telemarketers who used these kinds of interjections while listening
2011年的一项研究发现，电话推销员在倾听中使用这些插入语时，
were given higher ratings of competence by a panel of participants.
会被一组参与者给予更高的能力评分。
So if you're using filler words way more than most people,
所以如果你比大多数人更多地使用填充词，
it might not be a bad idea to practice cutting back a bit.
练习着减少一点儿似乎不是坏主意。
But there's no reason to get rid of them entirely.
但没有理由完全抛弃它们。
They're probably helping your conversations along.
它们可能在帮助你交谈。
Thanks for watching this episode of SciShow Psych!
感谢您收看本期的心理科学秀！
If you want to learn more about the psychology of language,
如果你想学习更多的心理学语言，
check out our other video about how swearing could potentially help with pain.
看看我们的另一个视频“咒骂如何帮助减少疼痛”。
