新奇事件簿 吃爆米花影响广告效益（在线收听）

The advertising people see while at the movies is less effective when audiences eat popcorn. This is the conclusion of a newly-published study from Germany's Cologne University. According to researchers, people remember the names of new brands or products by silently pronouncing them in their brains. However, with a mouth full of popcorn, this process is interrupted. The report is titled "Popcorn in the Cinema: Oral Interference Sabotages Advertising Effects". It describes how the chewing action interferes with the brain's "inner speech" that operates whenever we come across a new name. Researchers say: "This happens covertly, that is, without our awareness."

一边吃爆米花一边看电影所带来的广告效果会有所减弱。这是德国科隆大学发布的最新研究。根据研究人员的说法，通过大脑默念，人们会记住新品牌或是新产品。但是，如果人们在这期间食用爆米花的话，那么这一过程将被打乱。这份报告的名称为“电影院中的爆米花：口腔蠕动破坏广告效应。”报告描述的是不管何时遇到新名字，咀嚼行为都将影响大脑的“内部言语”。研究人员称：“事情的发生是悄无声息的，人们并没有意识到。”

Researcher Sascha Topolinski invited 96 people to watch a movie. Half of the group was given popcorn, while the rest received a small sugar cube. A week later, the participants were asked to rate a series of products, including some of those they had seen adverts for during the movie. The sugar cube group remembered a lot more of the product names than those who ate popcorn. Mr Topolinski said: "The mundane activity of eating popcorn made participants immune to the pervasive effects of advertising." He added: "This finding suggests that selling candy in cinemas actually undermines advertising." This presents cinema owners with a dilemma. There is usually a 900% mark-up on popcorn sold in movie theatres.

研究员塔波林斯基博士邀请了96人来观看电影。给他们一半提供爆米花，其余的提供方糖。一周后，要求参与者进行一系列产品测试。包括那些他们在电影院中看到的广告。食用放糖的那组比吃爆米花的那组要记住更多的产品。波林斯基博士称：“看电影吃爆米花这一无聊行为让人们免受了广告的巨大效应。”他补充道：“这一发现说明在电影院销售糖果将影响广告所带来的影响。”这让电影院遇到了两难抉择。通常电影院的爆米花会加价90%。