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大學主修透露你有多聰明？
學生真的按照自己的興趣和天份選擇大學主修科系嗎？美國杜克大學發現你的主修科系透露你有多聰明。研究員Jonathan Wai追蹤近七十年來美國學生學術能力性向測驗結果，發現驚人的一致性…
開始閱讀文章之前，請先想想以下單字:
a) 學術天份
b) 隨機抽樣
c) 顯著地
Do students who choose to major in different fields have different a) academic aptitudes? This question is worth investigating, as the choice might reflect upon the majors and occupations and cultural values. Jonathan Wai, a researcher in the Duke University, analyzed US students’ academic aptitude, from 1946-2014, and discovered that the ranking order of cognitive skills has remained strikingly constant for the last seven decades.
學生依照學術天分選擇主修嗎？這個問題非常值得探索，選擇往往反映了一個文化所重視的科系和工作。美國杜克大學研究員，Jonathan Wai，分析1946-2014年期間美國學生的學術能力性向，發現各領域學生平均認知能力、學術能力對應到他們所選擇的大學主修科系，在過去七十年以來維持驚人的一致性。
An earlier analysis can be traced back to 1946 and 1951 in studies by Dael Wolfle and Toby Oxtoby. They investigated this question using the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) scale with a sample of 10,000 US college graduates from 40 universities in 1946. Their analysis included everything from cognitive abilities to academic achievements.
早期的研究可以追溯回1946和1951年。研究者Daniel Wolfle和Toby Oxtoby利用美國陸軍通用分類測驗量表分析10,000位分別來自40所大學的畢業生。這個量表分析的層面包山包海，從學生的認知能力到學術能力都在測量範圍之內。
Twenty years later, Jonathan Wai and his colleagues 1) took a leaf out of Dael Wolfle and Toby Oxtoby’s book. They engaged a stratified b) random sample of 400,000 US students who were assessed on their academic aptitude, along with a pattern of average math, verbal, and spatial aptitude.
1971年，Jonathan Wai和他的同事延續Dael Wofle和Toby Oxtoby的研究。他們採用分層隨機抽樣方式分析400,000名美國學生的學術能力，包括平均數理、語言、空間的性向分析。
Another sample comes from over 1.2 million students who took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) between 2002 and 2005 and indicated their intended graduate major. The final sample was based on the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and on a total population of about 1.6 million. The average math and verbal aptitude was taken for college bound seniors who indicated their area of study.
後續的研究包括2012-2015年參加GRE考試的120萬名美國學生和他們有興趣的主修科系。以及2014年參加SAT全美學科評鑑考試的160萬名升學導向的高三學生，取樣來自於數理和語言的性向測量
All of the studies show a c) strikingly similar pattern: both agriculture and education were at the bottom. And again, the traditional science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields such as engineering, physical sciences, and mathematics/statistics tended to be at the top. Except for business, which appeared near the bottom from 1946 to 2005, but by 2014 had risen to 2) the middle of the pack.
七十年來所有的研究結果都呈現驚人的一致性：農業和教育領域的學生通常表現較差，而科學、科技、工程、數學領域譬如是自然科學系、數學系、統計系等學生表現最佳。有趣的是商業領域的變化，在1946-2005年商科學系都幾乎墊底，然而在2014年卻回升到所有科系的中間部分。
The ranking order reflects upon the majors and resulting occupations that US culture has consistently valued. Interestingly, the rise of business shows that the field is attracting more able students in recent years, perhaps due to the value of this major among current employers. 3) An important caveat is that the data only presented the group averages. Obviously there are specific individuals in every major.
這個排名反映了美國文化一直以來所重視的科系和工作，在七十年中沒有太大變化。然而商管科系近年來可能因為受到雇主青睞，吸引到程度更好的學生。不過這些研究方法的限制在於資料只能呈現團體的平均值，各科系之中程度最好和最差的學生並沒有辦法影響統計結果。
詞彙:
1. Take a leaf out of someone’s book 效仿某人、以某人為榜樣
Maybe I should take a leaf out of Rick's book and start coming into office early every morning.
或許我應該效仿Rick，每天提早進辦公室。
2. in the….of the pack 在團體中處於…的位置
Her speed, strength and reactions are definitely in the top of the pack.
她的速度、力量和反應能力都是這行中的佼佼者。
3. a…caveat …的條款、警告
a…caveat …的條款、警告
He agreed to the interview, with an important caveat that he could approve the final article.
他答應會面，附帶說他可能會同意最後一項條款。