논리형 장문독해

영어독해 논리형

The students from Humboldt State University reside in a small soially liberal own in northern California which takes pride in its environmental credentials. The students there are largely very environmentally conscious, too. You would expect that a peer’s disregard for carbon emissions would not go down well.

After listening to an interview with a student at the university who stressed the importance of walking or cycling short distance rather than taking a car, and then later admitting to a driving to the interview, the participants were asked about their own environmental views. They did this while sat next to an actor. The actor took the role of either a third student wearing a university sweatshirt, or a professional in smart clothing. When the hypocrisy of the interfiew was revealed, the actor either made a negative remakrk about their hebhaiour or styed quiet.

How the participants judged the importance of walking or cycling short distances was dependent on who they listened to the interview with, and how that person reacted. When sat with someone they thought was another student, and who shared their environmental value, the participants reiterated the importance of cycling. When sat with an outsider it wasn’t so clear-cut.

An outsider who commented on the hypocrisy of the interviewee elicited the strongest environmental feelings in the participants. Conversely, if the outsider stayed quiet, the participants judged the importance of cycling the lowest. So, how an outsider judges our peers has a big impact on whether we back them up or not.