英语四级阅读练习：自言自语其实没那么可怕_大学英语阅读

英语四级阅读练习：自言自语其实没那么可怕

　　How and when you self-talk can increase your concentration and improve performance.

　　In the privacy of our minds, we all talk to ourselves an inner monologue that might seem rather pointless. As one scientific paper on self-talk asks: What can we tell ourselves that we dont already know? But as that study and others go on to show, the act of giving ourselves mental messages can help us learn and perform at our best. Researchers have identified the most effective forms of self-talk, collected here so that the next time you talk to yourself, you know exactly what you should say.

　　Self-talk isnt just motivational messages like You can do it! or Almost there, although this internal cheering section can give us confidence. A review of more than two dozen studies, published last year in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, found that theres another kind of mental message that is even more useful, called instructional self-talk. This is the kind of running commentary we engage in when were carrying out a difficult task, especially one thats unfamiliar to us. Think about when you were first learning to drive. Your self-talk might have gone something like this: Foot on the gas pedal, hands on the wheel, slow down for the curve here, now put your blinker on

　　Over time, of course, giving yourself instructions becomes unnecessary but while youre learning, it does three important things. First, it enhances our attention, focusing us on the important elements of the task and screening out distractions. Second, it helps us regulate our effort and make decisions about what to do, how to do it, and when. And third, self-talk allows us to control our cognitive and emotional reactions, steadying us so we stay on task.