研究表明，不約會(huì)的高中生比約會(huì)的高中生更少抑郁

研究表明，不約會(huì)的高中生比約會(huì)的高中生更少抑郁

Dating is a normal part of adolescence -- and a formative one at that. Decades of research have suggested a link between romantic relationships and identity development as teenagers mature into young adults.

約會(huì)是青春期的正常組成部分，也是形成青春期的一個(gè)重要因素。數(shù)十年的研究表明，隨著青少年成長(zhǎng)為年輕人，戀愛(ài)關(guān)系和身份發(fā)展之間存在聯(lián)系。

But a recent study published in the Journal of School Health reveals that adolescents who choose not to date fare as well as, or better than, their coupled counterparts in social and leadership skills.

但最近發(fā)表在《校園健康雜志》上的一項(xiàng)研究顯示，在社交和領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力方面，選擇不約會(huì)的青少年與那些已經(jīng)結(jié)婚的同齡人表現(xiàn)一樣好，或優(yōu)于他們。

They're also less depressed.

他們也不那么抑郁。

"We know that romantic relationships are very common among adolescents -- in fact, a majority have been involved in some type of romantic activity by 15 to 17 years of age," says Brooke Douglas, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia who conducted the study with Dr. Pamela Orpinas.

“我們知道，戀愛(ài)關(guān)系在青少年中非常普遍——事實(shí)上，大多數(shù)人在15至17歲時(shí)就經(jīng)歷過(guò)某種類型的戀愛(ài)活動(dòng)，”佐治亞大學(xué)博士候選人布魯克道格拉斯說(shuō)，他與帕梅拉奧皮娜博士一起進(jìn)行了這項(xiàng)研究。

"It's also known that romantic relationships are important for teenagers' individual development and wellbeing. So that made us ask: What does this say about teenagers who are not dating? Are they social misfits?"

“眾所周知，戀愛(ài)關(guān)系對(duì)青少年的個(gè)人發(fā)展和幸福感很重要。這讓我們不禁要問(wèn):對(duì)于沒(méi)有約會(huì)的青少年來(lái)說(shuō)，這說(shuō)明了什么?他們與社會(huì)格格不入嗎?”

It turns out, they're not

事實(shí)證明，并不是這樣

Through a combination of student surveys and teacher feedback, data was gathered on the dating habits of sixth through 12th-graders, along with key emotional and behavioral information.

通過(guò)學(xué)生調(diào)查和教師反饋相結(jié)合，收集了從六年級(jí)到十二年級(jí)學(xué)生的約會(huì)習(xí)慣的數(shù)據(jù)，以及關(guān)鍵的情感和行為信息。

The data was originally published in a 2013 study conducted by Orpinsas, which revealed a number of dating patterns among the students -- some dated more frequently with age, others took breaks from relationships at various times.

這些數(shù)據(jù)最初是由奧皮納斯在2013年進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)研究中公布的，該研究揭示了學(xué)生的一些約會(huì)模式——一些人隨著年齡的增長(zhǎng)約會(huì)更頻繁，還有一些在不同的時(shí)間斷絕了戀情。

But Douglas was most interested in the "low" dating group comprised of students who dated, on average, once throughout middle and high school, with some reporting no romantic relationships at all.

但道格拉斯最感興趣的是“低”約會(huì)群體，這一群體的學(xué)生在整個(gè)初中和高中平均有過(guò)一次約會(huì)，其中一些人表示根本沒(méi)有戀愛(ài)關(guān)系。

To follow the 2013 study, Douglas and Orpinas compared the social and emotional data of 10th graders and found that a lack of romantic relationships had not hindered the development of the "low" daters.

為了跟蹤2013年的研究，道格拉斯和奧皮納斯比較了十年級(jí)學(xué)生的社會(huì)和情感數(shù)據(jù)，發(fā)現(xiàn)缺乏戀愛(ài)關(guān)系并沒(méi)有阻礙“低”約會(huì)者的發(fā)展。

On the contrary, based on the teacher feedback, the students in this group were overall rated higher in social and leadership skills, and lower in depression than those in other dating groups.

相反，根據(jù)老師的反饋，這個(gè)（沒(méi)有約會(huì)）小組的學(xué)生在社交和領(lǐng)導(dǎo)能力方面的總體得分比其他約會(huì)的小組的學(xué)生要高，抑郁程度也更低。

One thing to note

需要注意一件事

As Douglas points out, the teacher surveys were a crucial aspect of the study, as self-reported surveys can lead to a response bias from participants. Especially when probing sensitive issues -- like depression and suicide -- that students might not feel comfortable reporting, "teachers are the best people to give information."

道格拉斯指出，教師調(diào)查是這項(xiàng)研究的一個(gè)重要方面，因?yàn)樽晕覉?bào)告的調(diào)查可能導(dǎo)致參與者有反應(yīng)偏差。尤其是在調(diào)查學(xué)生可能不愿意告知的敏感問(wèn)題時(shí)——比如抑郁癥和自殺，“老師是提供者這些信息的最佳人選。”

Other limitations of the study include that all the participants were from a single region in Georgia and had limited racial diversity. While almost half of the students were white, just over 1% were Asian.

該研究的其他局限性包括，所有參與者都來(lái)自格魯吉亞的一個(gè)地區(qū)，限制了種族多樣性。將近一半的學(xué)生是白人，只有1%多一點(diǎn)的學(xué)生是亞洲人。

Nonetheless, the results stand counter to the notion that to be a well-adjusted and socially competent adolescent, you must experience a romantic relationship. Students who don't date are doing just fine. "They don't lack general social competence, they have friends, just like teenagers who are dating," says Douglas.

盡管如此，研究結(jié)果與“想要成為一個(gè)適應(yīng)能力強(qiáng)、社交能力強(qiáng)的青少年，就必須經(jīng)歷一段戀愛(ài)關(guān)系”的觀點(diǎn)背道而馳。不約會(huì)的學(xué)生表現(xiàn)很好。“他們并不缺乏一般的社交能力，像正在約會(huì)的青少年一樣，他們有朋友，”道格拉斯說(shuō)。

She emphasizes, however, that the study should not be interpreted as a suggestion that teens should not date. Remaining single is simply one choice that adolescents can make -- and it doesn't make them abnormal or socially stunted.

然而，她強(qiáng)調(diào)，這項(xiàng)研究不應(yīng)該被解釋為建議青少年不應(yīng)該約會(huì)。保持單身只是青少年可以做的一種選擇，這并不會(huì)讓他們變得不正常或有社交障礙。