姓名排序越靠前，成绩越好？

近日，美国密歇根大学的研究人员分析了该校学生3000多万条成绩记录发现，姓氏首字母在字母表靠前的学生往往比姓氏首字母靠后的学生成绩更好。具体来说，姓氏首字母为A、B、C、D或E的学生平均高出0.3分（百分制），而姓氏排列靠后（如首字母位U到Z）的学生则低0.3分。

研究人员发现，原来是学校的阅卷系统默认根据学生姓氏从A到Z排列答卷。而如果是反过来，按Z到A的顺序排列，姓氏靠后（如首字母位U到Z）的学生分数则会更高。

研究人员猜测，可能是长时间阅卷会导致阅卷人员疲劳，阅卷后期注意力不集中，认知下降，因而打分会更低。

🤔️小作业：

1. According to the study, what is believed to cause the grading bias?

A) Lack of interest in the subject by the graders.

B) Insufficient training of the graders.

C) Grader fatigue from reviewing many submissions.

D) Technological issues with the grading software.

A) Limiting the number of students in each class.

B) Training graders to avoid unconscious biases.

C) Assigning grading tasks to external reviewers.

D) Conducting blind grading without knowing students' names.

无注释原文：

Students May Get Lower Grades Based on Their Surnames

From: Newsweek

Having the last name Atkins rather than Williams might mean you get better grades, according to new research.

Students with surnames that start with letters earlier in the alphabet tend to get better grades at school than those with surnames that appear later, claims a new study due to be published in the online journal Management Science.

This isn't due to the students themselves, however, as the researchers say it is the fault of the default ordering of student submissions in alphabetic order.

The researchers—from the University of Michigan—analyzed more than 30 million grading records from students at the university between the fall 2014 semester and the summer 2022 semester, and found that those with names later in the alphabet got lower grades.

After enhancing this data with additional records on students' backgrounds, demographics, and academic progress at the university, they concluded that this pattern was due to grading biases relating to the order of student submissions on a management system named Canvas, which ranks the students in alphabetical order.

"We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make the grading fair and accurate, but even for me it was really surprising," study author Jun Li, an associate professor of technology and operations at the university's Ross School of Business, said in a statement.

"It didn't occur to us until we looked at the data and realized that sequence makes a difference."

The paper describes how students whose surnames start with A, B, C, D or E got an average of 0.3 points higher out of 100 possible points compared to random grading, while those later in the alphabet received 0.3 points lower than random grading.

For graders who ranked students Z-A instead, the same pattern was seen, but in reverse, with lower-alphabet students doing better than early-alphabet students.

"Our conclusion is this may be something that happened unconsciously by the graders that's actually creating a real social impact," study author Zhihan Wang, a researcher at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, said in the statement.

The researchers also found that lower-alphabet students receive feedback that is significantly more negative and less courteous, and the quality of their grading is lower, as indicated by the number of complaints from students after receiving their grades.

"We kind of suspect that fatigue is one of the major factors that is driving this effect, because when you're working on something for a long period of time, you get tired and then you start to lose your attention and your cognitive abilities are dropping," study author Jiaxin Pei, a researcher from Michigan's School of Information, said in the statement.

The researchers suggest that one solution would be to rank students randomly, but the default mode on Canvas and other learning management software is alphabetical, so many might not think to change it.

They also suggest that graders could be trained to avoid such biases, or more graders could be hired for larger classes to avoid people getting tired towards the end of the list.

Many students who have seen the presentation of this research at conferences have felt vindicated by the findings.

"A college student emailed us afterward asking us to share the paper with him," Li said. "He mentioned that his last name started with W. He's going to tell his parents it's not because of him—it's because of his last name."

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Students May Get Lower Grades Based on Their Surnames

From: Newsweek

Having the last name Atkins rather than Williams might mean you get better grades, according to new research.

一项最新研究表明，姓阿特金斯（Atkins）的学生将会比姓威廉姆斯（Williams）的取得更好的成绩。

last name /ˈlɑːst ˌneɪm/ 表示“姓氏，姓”，英文解释为“your family name, that you use in formal situations or with people you do not know well”

英式，surname /ˈsɜː.neɪm/ 表示“姓，姓氏”，英文解释为“the name that you share with other members of your family; last name”

family name /ˈfæm.əl.i ˌneɪm/ 也可以表示“姓”。

Students with surnames that start with letters earlier in the alphabet tend to get better grades at school than those with surnames that appear later, claims a new study due to be published in the online journal Management Science.

一项即将发表于在线期刊《管理科学》（Management Science）上的新研究表明，姓氏首字母在字母表靠前的学生往往比姓氏首字母靠后的学生成绩更好。

alphabet /ˈæl.fə.bet/ 表示“字母表”，英文解释为“a set of letters arranged in a fixed order, used for writing a language”如：the Roman/Cyrillic alphabet 罗马/西里尔字母表。

This isn't due to the students themselves, however, as the researchers say it is the fault of the default ordering of student submissions in alphabetic order.

然而，研究人员指出，这一现象并非由学生个人因素造成，而是因为教学管理系统默认将学生答卷按字母顺序排列所致。

default /dɪˈfɒlt/ 在计算机上非常常见的一个词，表示“默认，默认值；预置值；缺省值”，英文解释为“In computing, the default is a particular set of instructions which the computer always uses unless the person using the computer gives other instructions.”，比如：默认设置 default settings；

另外，它还有完全不搭嘎的意思，作动词和名词表示“债务违约，拖欠”，英文解释为“failure to pay money that you owe at the right time”，如：the risk of default by borrowers 借款人不偿还欠款的风险，举个🌰：He defaulted on his child support payments. 他拖欠子女抚养费。

submission /səbˈmɪʃ.ən/ 1）表示“提交；呈递；提交（或呈递）的文件、建议等”，英文解释为“the act of giving a document, proposal, etc. to sb in authority so that they can study or consider it; the document, etc. that you give”举个🌰：All parties will have the opportunity to make submissions relating to this case. 各方均有机会提交与此案有关的陈述。

2）表示“顺从，屈服；不得以接受”，英文解释为“the act of allowing someone or something to have power over you”举个🌰：They thought the country could be bombed into submission. 他们认为轰炸可以使该国屈服。

The researchers—from the University of Michigan—analyzed more than 30 million grading records from students at the university between the fall 2014 semester and the summer 2022 semester, and found that those with names later in the alphabet got lower grades.

密歇根大学的研究人员分析了该校学生在2014年秋季学期至2022年夏季学期期间的3000多万条成绩记录，发现那些名字首字母在字母表中靠后的学生成绩较低。

semester /sɪˈmes.tər/ 表示“（尤指美国和澳大利亚大学的）学期”，英文解释为“one of the periods into which a year is divided at a college or university, especially in the US and Australia”如：the first/second semester 第一/第二学期，the spring/fall semester 春季/秋季学期。

After enhancing this data with additional records on students' backgrounds, demographics, and academic progress at the university, they concluded that this pattern was due to grading biases relating to the order of student submissions on a management system named Canvas, which ranks the students in alphabetical order.

在进一步整合学生背景、人口统计学信息以及在校学业表现等数据后，研究人员得出结论，这种成绩偏差源于教学管理系统Canvas上的答卷呈现顺序，该系统按字母表顺序进行排列。

enhance /ɪnˈhɑːns/ 表示“提高；增加；增强；增进”，英文解释为“to improve the quality, amount, or strength of something”举个🌰：These scandals will not enhance the organization's reputation. 这些丑闻可不会提高这个组织的声誉。

demographic /ˌdem.əˈɡræf.ɪk/ 1）作形容词，表示“人口的；人口统计的；人口学的”，英文解释为“relating to demography (= the study of populations and the different groups that make them up)”举个🌰：There have been monumental social and demographic changes in the country. 该国的社会和人口状况已经发生了巨大的变化。

2）作名词，表示“（顾客）族群”，英文解释为“a group of people, for example customers, who are similar in age, social class, etc.”举个🌰：This demographic (young teenagers) is the fastest-growing age group using the site. 该族群（十几岁的年轻人）是使用这个网站人数增长最快的年龄群体。

📍demographics /ˌdem.əˈɡræf.ɪks/ 表示“人口统计数据，人口统计结果”，英文解释为“the number and characteristics of people who live in a particular area or form a particular group, especially in relation to their age, how much money they have and what they spend it on ”举个🌰：The demographics of the country have changed dramatically in recent years. 近年来该国的人口统计数据发生了巨大的变化。

bias /ˈbaɪ.əs/ 表示“偏见；偏心；偏向”，英文解释为“a strong feeling in favour of or against one group of people, or one side in an argument, often not based on fair judgement”举个🌰：Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。

"We spend a lot of time thinking about how to make the grading fair and accurate, but even for me it was really surprising," study author Jun Li, an associate professor of technology and operations at the university's Ross School of Business, said in a statement.

该研究的作者、密歇根大学罗斯商学院（Ross School of Business）技术与运营副教授李君（Jun Li）在一份报告中说：“我们花了很多时间思考如何让打分公平准确，这一发现即便是对我来说也颇为惊讶。”

associate professor /əˌsəʊ.si.ət prəˈfes.ər/ 表示“副教授”，英文解释为“a teacher of high rank in a college or university who has a lower rank than a professor”

"It didn't occur to us until we looked at the data and realized that sequence makes a difference."

“直到我们查看了数据，才意识到顺序会产生影响。”

sequence /ˈsiː.kwəns/ 作名词，表示“一连串；一系列；顺序，次序；连续事件（或动作、事物）”，英文解释为“a series of related things or events, or the order in which they follow each other”举个🌰：The tasks had to be performed in a particular sequence. 这些任务必须按一定次序去执行。

作动词，表示“排序，定序”，英文解释为“the process of combining things in a particular order, or discovering the order in which they are combined”或者表示“测定DNA的序列”，英文解释为“to discover the order in which nucleotides (= chemical substances) are combined within DNA”举个🌰：Researchers sequenced the full genome of a rat. 研究者们测定了大鼠基因组的全部序列。

The paper describes how students whose surnames start with A, B, C, D or E got an average of 0.3 points higher out of 100 possible points compared to random grading, while those later in the alphabet received 0.3 points lower than random grading.

该论文指出，与随机排列的方式打分相比，姓氏以A、B、C、D或E开头的学生在满分100分的情况下平均高出0.3分，而姓氏在字母表靠后的学生则低0.3分。

random /ˈræn.dəm/ 表示“任意的；随机的；胡乱的”，英文解释为“happening, done, or chosen by chance rather than according to a plan”如：random checks/tests/attacks 随机检查/随机测试/胡乱攻击。

📍单词“random”来自古法语词根“rand-”，意为“快速移动，冲”，后来演变为现在的“无目的，随机”的含义。想象你随意选择了一本书的一页，这就是“random”。

For graders who ranked students Z-A instead, the same pattern was seen, but in reverse, with lower-alphabet students doing better than early-alphabet students.

而按Z-A逆序排列再进行打分时，也出现了同样的模式，但情况正好相反，姓氏在字母表靠后的学生比靠前的学生成绩更好。

1）作名词，表示“失败；挫折”，英文解释为“a defeat or failure”举个🌰：They suffered a serious military reverse. 他们遭受了一次重大的军事失败。也可以表示“相反的情况（或事物）；对立面”，英文解释为“the opposite of what has been suggested”

📍in reverse (order) 表示“向相反方向；倒；逆”，英文解释为“in the opposite order or way”举个🌰：To stop the engine, you repeat the same procedures, but in reverse (order). 要想关掉发动机，你得按相反顺序重复同样的步骤。

2）还可以表示“倒车挡”，英文解释为“the method of controlling a vehicle that makes it go backwards”举个🌰：To go backwards, you must put the car in/into reverse (gear). 要想倒车，你得挂倒车挡。

3）作动词，表示“（使）反向；（使）倒转；彻底改变；推翻”，英文解释为“to change the direction, order, position, result, etc. of something to its opposite”举个🌰：The new manager hoped to reverse the decline in the company's fortunes. 新经理希望能够扭转公司江河日下的状况。

"Our conclusion is this may be something that happened unconsciously by the graders that's actually creating a real social impact," study author Zhihan Wang, a researcher at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business, said in the statement.

该研究的作者、罗斯商学院的研究人员王芷涵在报告中说：“我们的结论是，这可能是阅卷者无意中的行为，但实际上产生了真正的社会影响。”

unconsciously /ʌnˈkɒn.ʃəs.li/ 表示“无意识地”，英文解释为“without being aware of what you are doing”举个🌰：He may be unconsciously looking for a mother figure. 他可能不自觉地在寻找一个母亲的形象。

The researchers also found that lower-alphabet students receive feedback that is significantly more negative and less courteous, and the quality of their grading is lower, as indicated by the number of complaints from students after receiving their grades.

研究人员还发现，姓氏在字母表靠后的学生收到的反馈意见明显更负面、更不礼貌，且打分质量也更低，这一点可以从学生收到成绩后的投诉数量中看出。

feedback /ˈfiːd.bæk/ 作名词，表示“反馈信息，反馈意见；反馈（到机器或产出系统，以改良产品）”，英文解释为“information or statements of opinion about something, such as a new product, that can tell you if it is successful or liked ”举个🌰：Have you had any feedback from customers about the new soap? 有关新款肥皂你有没有收到顾客的反馈意见？

courteous /ˈkɜːtɪəs/ 表示“有礼貌的；客气的；（尤指）恭敬的，谦恭的”，英文解释为“polite, especially in a way that shows respect”如：a courteous young man 彬彬有礼的年轻人。

"We kind of suspect that fatigue is one of the major factors that is driving this effect, because when you're working on something for a long period of time, you get tired and then you start to lose your attention and your cognitive abilities are dropping," study author Jiaxin Pei, a researcher from Michigan's School of Information, said in the statement.

该研究的作者、密歇根大学信息学院的研究人员裴嘉欣在报告中说：“我们有点怀疑，疲劳是造成这种现象的主要因素之一，因为当你长时间做某件事情时，你会感到疲劳，然后你开始注意力不集中，认知能力也会下降。”

fatigue /fəˈtiːɡ/ 表示“疲劳；劳累”，英文解释为“a feeling of being extremely tired, usually because of hard work or exercise”如：physical and mental fatigue 身体和精神的疲劳。

cognitive /ˈkɒɡ.nə.tɪv/ 表示“认知的；感知的；认识的”，英文解释为“Cognitive means relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning, and understanding things.”举个🌰：As children grow older, their cognitive processes become sharper. 随着孩子们长大，他们的认知过程也变得越来越敏锐了。

The researchers suggest that one solution would be to rank students randomly, but the default mode on Canvas and other learning management software is alphabetical, so many might not think to change it.

研究人员建议，一种解决方案是对学生的答卷进行随机排列，但Canvas等教学管理软件默认是按字母表顺序排列的，因此很多人可能不会想到去更改。

They also suggest that graders could be trained to avoid such biases, or more graders could be hired for larger classes to avoid people getting tired towards the end of the list.

他们还建议，对阅卷人员进行培训，以避免出现这种偏差，或者在大班课程中增聘更多阅卷人员，以避免阅卷人员在阅卷接近尾声时感到疲惫。

Many students who have seen the presentation of this research at conferences have felt vindicated by the findings.

许多在会议上了解到这项研究报告的学生都觉得研究结果很有道理。

vindicate /ˈvɪn.dɪ.keɪt/ 1）表示“证明…正确；证明…是真的”，英文解释为“to prove that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong”举个🌰：The investigation vindicated her complaint about the newspaper. 调查证明了她对那家报纸的投诉属实。

2）表示“证明（某人）无辜，澄清”，英文解释为“to prove that someone is not guilty or is free from blame, after other people blamed them”举个🌰：They said they welcomed the trial as a chance to vindicate themselves. 他们说他们欢迎审判，那是证明他们无罪的一个机会。

"A college student emailed us afterward asking us to share the paper with him," Li said. "He mentioned that his last name started with W. He's going to tell his parents it's not because of him—it's because of his last name."

李君老师指出：“一名大学生后来给我们发邮件，希望我们能分享这篇论文。他提到他的姓氏以W开头，他要告诉父母，成绩不好不是自己的原因，而是因为他的姓氏。”

- 词汇盘点 -

- 词汇助记 By ChatGPT -

LearnAndRecord

2015年2月8日

2024年4月25日

第3365天

每天持续行动学外语