大学英语精读第五册UnitThree
One of the earliest and most convincing experiments along this line was conducted by the late Prescott Lecky, one of the pioneers in self-image psychology. Lecky conceived of the personality as a "system of ideas", all of which must seem to be consistent with each other. Ideas which are inconsistent with the system are rejected, "not believed," and not acted upon. Ideas which seem to be consistent with the system are accepted. At the very center of this system of ideas -- the keystone -- the base upon which all else is built, is the individual's "ego ideal," his "self-image," or his conception of himself. Lecky was a school teacher and had an opportunity to test his theory upon thousands of students.
Lecky theorized that if a student had trouble learning a certain subject, it could be because (from the student's point of view) it would be inconsistent for him to learn it. Lecky believed, however, that if you could change the student's self-conception, which underlies this viewpoint, his attitude toward the subject would change accordingly. If the student could be induced to change his selfdefinition, his learning ability should also change. This proved to be the case. One student who misspelled 55 words out of a hundred and flunked so many subjects that he lost credit for a year, made a general average of 91 the next year and became one of the best spellers in school. A boy who was dropped from one college because of poor grades, entered Columbia and became a straight "A" student. A girl who had flunked Latin four times, after three talks with the school counselor, finished with a grade of 84. A boy who was told by a testing bureau that he had no aptitude for English, won honorable mention the next year for a literary prize.
The trouble with these students was not that they were dumb, or lacking in basic aptitudes. The trouble was an inadequate self-image ("I don't have a mathematical mind"; "I'm just naturally a poor speller"). They "identified" with their mistakes and failures. Instead of saying "I failed that test" (factual and descriptive) they concluded "I am a failure." Instead of saying "I flunked that subject" they said "I am a failure." Instead of saying "I flunked that subject" they said "I am a flunk-out." For those who are interested in leaning more of Lecky's work, I recommend securing a copy of his book: self consistency, a Theory of Personality. The Island Press, Now York, N.Y.
NEW WORDS
blueprint
n. a design for a building or machine, with white lines on blue paper; a detailed plan or scheme
vague
a. not clear or distinct
ill-defined
a. not adequately explained; not well marked out; unclear
recognizable
a. that can be recognized, identifiable
conception
n. general understanding, idea; the act of forming an idea, plan, etc.
humiliation
n. the act or process of lowering pride, dignity or self-respect; the state or feeling of being humiliated
triumph
n. the act of winning; success
v. be victorious or successful
construct
vt. build or put together
validity
n. truth or soundness; legal force, being legally binding 正确；（法律上）有效
consistent
a. in agreement; keeping to the same principles and habits
consistency
n.
lap
n. the front part of a seated person between the waist and the knees
victim
n. a person harmed, killed or suffering some hardship or loss 受害者
injustice
n. lack of justice; an unjust act
verify
vt. prove to be true, confirm; check for accuracy 证明；核实
premise
n. a statement that is taken as true, used as the basis for an argument; assumption 前提；假设
thereby
ad. by means of that, in that way
vicious
a. evil, wicked; savage and dangerous
vicious cycle
a set of events in which cause and effect follow each other until this results in a return to the first usu. undesirable or unpleasant position and the whole matter begins again 恶性循环
beneficent
a. doing good; kind or generous
rejection
n. (an example of) rejecting or being rejected
woebegone
a. very sad in appearance 愁眉苦脸
hang-dog
a. (of an expression on the face) unhappy esp. because ashamed or sorry 惭愧的；自觉有罪的
unconscious
a. having lost consciousness; unaware
hostility
n. ill-will; antagonism
affront
vt. be rude to or hurt the feelings of, esp. intentionally or in public; offend 当众侮辱，有意冒犯
businessman (business woman)
a person who works in business, esp. as an owner, director, or top manager of a company
objective
a. existing outside the mind, real; not influenced by personal feelings or opinions, fair
sanity
n. the state of having a sound and healthy mind
miraculous
a. being or resembling a miracle
prevail
vt. be stronger or more successful; be most common or frequent
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