新奇事件簿 吃爆米花导致广告效果减弱（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."

如果观众看电影时吃爆米花，那么他们看到的广告的效果就会减弱。这是德国科隆大学最新发表的一份研究得出的结论。研究人员称，如果在安静状态下向他们的大脑中宣读，人们能记住新品牌和产品的名字。然而，如果满嘴都是爆米花，记忆过程被扰乱。该报告题为“电影院的爆米花：口头干预破坏广告效果”。该报告描述了咀嚼行为如何干扰我们接触一个新名字时运作的大脑的“内部语言”。研究人员表示：“这是暗中进行的，我们意识不到。”

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Sascha Topolinski邀请96人看电影。其中一半的人分发了爆米花，其他人则发一小块糖。一周后，要求参加者辨别一系列产品，包括他们看电影时曾经看到的产品。吃糖块的一组记得的产品名字比吃爆米花的一组记得的多很多。Topolinski先生说：“吃爆米花这种平凡的行为导致参加者对广告的入侵效应免疫。”他补充说：“该发现表明，在电影院出售糖果会削弱广告效果。”这导致电影院老板进退两难。电影院出售的爆米花价格比外面高出九倍。